Collective Kitchen & Bar, a vegetarian and vegan eatery located on 2132 Center St. in Downtown Berkeley, closed recently.

The restaurant was opened by the last three members of the long-standing Berkeley collective known as the Juice Bar Collective. Located in the Gourmet Ghetto neighborhood of Berkeley, the collective had been open from 1976 until its closure in February. It closed as a result of a reported dispute with the collective’s landlord over the cost of repairs for the location, as previously reported by Berkeleyside.

Collective Kitchen & Bar opened in April — just two months after the closure of the Juice Bar Collective. 

“Thank you for all your support,” said a message written in Sharpie on the paper covering the windows of the now-closed Collective Kitchen & Bar.

Taking over the space from the closed business is a “pop-up project” called Flavia. Already, the awning of the former Collective Kitchen & Bar displays Flavia’s name.

According to a message that was also written on the paper on the windows, Flavia will open in the next week.

“POP UP PROJECT! Will open in one week! 🙂 Flavia Staff,” the message reads.

Previously owned by Sliver Pizzeria for five years, the space has yet to find a restaurant that has stayed in the location for more than a year since Sliver closed its Center Street location in late 2017.

The entire Downtown Berkeley area has had “a couple” of restaurant closures recently, according to Tenzin Dechen, an employee at Daryoush, a Persian restaurant in the area. However, despite the frequent closures in the area, Dechen remains optimistic about the prospects of Flavia.

“I can’t talk much about the (new) place,” Dechen said. “But I know it’s gonna be a big hit, especially for the students.”