Downtown Berkeley is losing its oldest bar. The places opening within a few blocks of Triple Rock this fall belong to a pizza chain that started on University Avenue, a hot dog stand with sixty years in Berkeley, and a bakery that built its following at farmers markets for more than two years before it signed a lease. The new businesses at Shattuck and University are mostly ones that already earned their place.
That matters for how you plan your December. The brewpub's closing date is still open. The places arriving around it are already familiar.
Triple Rock's final stretch, and why it was downtown at all
Triple Rock Brewery & Alehouse at 1920 Shattuck Ave. opened on March 14, 1986. Brothers John and Reid Martin were 25 and 28 when they started it. The brewpub's own closing announcement calls it the oldest continuously operating brewpub in the United States. The same release includes a detail longtime downtown regulars may not know. The City of Berkeley originally told the brothers their microbrewery belonged in an industrial part of town, not in the downtown business district. They kept it on Shattuck anyway, and it stayed there for four decades.
The Martins announced on September 17, 2026, that they plan to close toward the end of the year as they look toward retirement. The release says Triple Rock expects to stay open through the end of Cal's fall semester. Berkeleyside's Nosh reported that the last pint will likely be poured sometime between the semester's final day, December 18, and the end of the year.
Until then, the regular schedule continues. The pub's events calendar still lists Wednesday Trivia Night from 8 to 10 p.m. and Monkey Head Thursday, which runs noon to 11 p.m. Monkey Head is the 8.5% "Arboreal Ale" that Triple Rock pours only on Thursdays. The closing announcement also promises throwback celebrations with 1980s pricing and beers brought back from the brewing archives. Reid Martin put it this way in the release: "Oh man, there are too many Triple Rock memories for just one final visit."
The prices are part of what will be missed. Nosh reported in September that the smashburger runs around $10, and the "Chow and Brau" lunch special is $13.99 for a 20-ounce beer, a main dish and a side. John Martin told Nosh that keeping those prices is "tougher and tougher," and that they don't want to price out the neighborhood and longtime customers.
What happens to the building is still open. The Martins own it, and the closing announcement says the property will likely be offered for sale or lease. John Martin told Nosh they hope a brewery, pub or restaurant takes it and serves the local community. He also owns Jupiter in downtown Berkeley and co-owns Drake's Brewing Co. Drake's was founded by Roger Lind, one of Triple Rock's original brewers. Nosh reported that current Triple Rock employees will have places to land at both.
Who is setting up shop a few blocks away
Walk from Triple Rock to the corner of Shattuck and University and you pass most of downtown's new food openings since late summer. All but one of the names on this list were known somewhere before they came here.
| Business | Address | Where it was before |
|---|---|---|
| North Beach Pizza | 2072 University Ave., at Shattuck | A 44-year-old San Francisco chain whose first East Bay shop was on University Avenue |
| Top Dog | 2021 Shattuck Ave., at University, inside The BreakRoom | A 60-year Berkeley institution |
| Braid Bakery | 1812 University Ave., near Grant St. | Farmers markets and pop-ups since 2023 |
| Ceré Tea | 2106 Shattuck Ave. | New to the block; soft-opened in September |
North Beach Pizza, back on University
North Beach Pizza has opened a location in the former Bobby G's Pizzeria at 2072 University Ave. Nosh reported that the soft opening offered slices only, with a fuller menu promised for the November 11 grand opening. This is a return. In an October Berkeleyside story, the family described its first East Bay location at 1598 University Ave. It stayed there until the land was sold to developers, then moved to 2420 Shattuck Ave.
If you're used to the Shattuck shop, the hours there will change. Nosh reported that the Shattuck location stays open but will cut back its hours once the University location is fully running.
Top Dog, inside a billiards hall
Top Dog has run its Berkeley hot dog counter for sixty years. Its new downtown location is at 2021 Shattuck Ave., at University, inside The BreakRoom, a billiards hall and cocktail bar. Nosh confirmed the opening in late September after breaking the news in August. A hot dog stand inside a pool hall is new for downtown. The brand behind it isn't.
Braid Bakery, after the farmers markets
Braid Bakery is the one name on the list that never had a Berkeley storefront, and it may be the best example of the pattern. French-born pastry chef Valentine Erman started Braid in San Francisco in April 2023 as a cottage food operation. She blended traditional Jewish baking with French and Mediterranean flavors and built a following at farmers markets and at pop-ups in places like Flowerland, Oaktown Spice and Covenant Wines. Alex Kaytes and Roy Wang bought the bakery in December 2025. They expanded the menu and chose 1812 University Ave. for its first storefront and kitchen, with November 13 announced as the opening date.
According to Nosh, the menu centers on challah, brioche and babka. Babka comes in triple chocolate, cinnamon sugar, and cinnamon walnut and cardamom, in rolls, minis and full loaves. For a December holiday table, that's useful to know.
Ceré Tea, the newest name
Ceré Tea soft-opened in September at 2106 Shattuck Ave. Nosh reported it serves matcha, hojicha, ube drinks and coffee. It's the clearest exception to the pattern here, and it gives the Shattuck and University corner an afternoon option alongside pizza, hot dogs and pastry.
Downtown storefronts are turning over
Some downtown spaces have emptied this fall too. Nosh's closure roundups in September and October included Crepes A-Go-Go at 2055 Center St. and the Alborz location at 2175 Allston Way. Spaces open up on these blocks regularly. This fall, the ones that filled went mostly to businesses with an existing following. North Beach Pizza moved into an empty pizzeria. Top Dog set up inside an existing bar. Braid already had regular customers from its market stalls before it had an address.
Triple Rock's own story points the same way. John Martin told Nosh that when the pub opened in 1986, people traveled from across the Bay Area and California to see what a brewpub was. Today California has more than 900 brewpubs, and Triple Rock has become more of a local spot. The businesses arriving now are opening on those terms: neighborhood places for people who already know them.
A December calendar for Shattuck and University
Here's what's on the calendar for the rest of the season, in order:
- Every Wednesday, 8 to 10 p.m.: Trivia Night at Triple Rock, 1920 Shattuck Ave., run by Geeks Who Drink, with teams of up to six.
- Every Thursday, noon to 11 p.m.: Monkey Head Thursday at Triple Rock. Ten punches on a Monkey Head card earns the shirt.
- Thursday, December 3, 3 to 7 p.m.: The Berkeley Chamber of Commerce's Holiday Gift Fair at Hotel Shattuck Plaza, 2086 Allston Way, about two blocks from Triple Rock. The Chamber lists 25 vendors and free admission.
- Friday, December 18: The last day of Cal's fall semester, which Nosh reported as the earliest likely date for Triple Rock's last pint.
- Saturday, December 19, 1 p.m. and 5 p.m.: The San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus Holiday Spectacular at Zellerbach Hall, listed on Visit Berkeley's holiday guide.
If you want one last Monkey Head before the taps go dry, Thursdays December 3, 10 and 17 all fall before the semester ends.
A brewpub closing and a building going up for sale or lease can change how a downtown block feels and how it's valued. At Chris Clark Team, we follow those changes on Shattuck and University block by block. If you'd like to know what that means for your own Berkeley home, request a complimentary home valuation.