Save Snail Bar: Stand with Andres Against Unjust Lawsuit

Reaching out to the universe for help.

Hello guys <3

My name is Andres Giraldo Florez and I am the chef and owner of Snail Bar in Oakland, California.

If you are new to the Snail Bar universe, here’s a little about us:

We have been running a wine bar / restaurant concept in the Temescal District of Oakland for over 3 years.

In just 3 years we’ve received many accolades and been recognized by the Bay Area community as something special. We have worked with different programs in the area, to help youth facing hardships find momentum and develop skills at our restaurant, through the Sprouts program. We believe in our work and are proud of the truly amazing collaborations with artists and creatives from all walks of life. And we’re just getting started…

But these past 3 years have not been easy

We have suffered through the tumult of Covid-19, financial fluxes with the US economy, robberies and break-ins. We’ve also had one of our staff get attacked at the end of the night and another on his way home, leading to an unexpected death. Things are tough in Oakland, but we’ve never given up on it because we believe in and are invested in the city’s future. We’ve always wanted to be a key part of it.

I’ve never done this before but unfortunately I’m dealing with a situation that’s been ongoing for 3 years.

My old upstairs neighbor has decided to sue Snail Bar, our landlord, and her property management company for decreasing his quality of life for the period of time, when he lived above us.

To be honest, I financially cannot continue to bear the upcoming costs with this new lawsuit. This person has already dragged this financial battle for so long and We’re looking for help to finally solve this and end this.

Here’s a bit of background about this person:

-There is an article about their history with my restaurant and I

(https://www.sfchronicle.com/food/article/snail-bar-neighbors-17431299.php)

-To begin, we have tried to calm down whatever it was to work out for both parties. We have installed noise proofer’s/dampers, have moved to a different system so queues do not form and block the corner, and have told our customers to take rideshares to our restaurant because of the lack of parking. Followed orders set by them and have shifted things around in a bunch of ways. An ironic thing about the sound, is upon entering the unit above we turned the music up and it was not audible, the sounds of the street were noisier.

-They have harassed my staff with verbal commands and taken photos and videos of them working as part of their scrapbook. They would walk around our patio area taking photos and videos of our customers. There have been aggressive encounters with some of my customers, who do not wish to be recorded during the three years of us being around.

-An occasion from the past was an indoor installation by POC artists, showcasing an archive of furniture and their own art. A lowrider was a part of it for a moment, then shortly left. They came to protest with a bullhorn and rally.

-They have reported us countless times, to different city officials and organizations. Having them waste time on inspections, tax dollars that we put into our community through our sales, and that we eventually get sorted out with those officials. We had a permit for our heaters paused because we wanted to start another project that they retaliated against, thus putting other of our permits on hold. This is all to cause commotion out of their own spite towards us.

All of this because the building was just not quite enough for him… and instead of him moving out from a busy Temescal strip to a more suiting suburb, he has made it impossible for the past TWO businesses on this corner to survive (STAY GOLD DELI AND SACRED WHEEL CHEESE SHOP) and now us…

They vacated the unit 5 months ago and STILL continues to come around taking photos of us and reporting any move we make to the city. He even protests local events we conduct when we pull permits with the city. We saw their vehicle in the alley by the entrance to our gate.

They have gone as far as creating an email address named “51st neighbors” to try to threaten us daily, with no response when conversation is held. Which we found out was because they took a screenshot of their computer screen filming our customer’s Instagram profiles to share with the city, while their personal email was open on another tab. I have brought this up to the neighbors of 51st street, because we were being sent threats about our business. Many of these neighbor’s proved to not be on that side and I collected their name and signatures in the form of a petition, to prove it's simply just him and few on their side… the head of this all is someone that does not even live on 51st street anymore.

All of the events we’ve ever done here are all events that benefit the culture in Oakland and promote a safe gathering space for all kinds of people.

At this point I am at a loss. I’ve spoken to many people who tell me getting legal counsel is the best option; but, I am at a loss financially and emotionally. Anything that you can do to help whether it be guidance, support, or a donation will be integral to us making sure we stick around and add to the unparalleled vibrancy that is Oakland. We love being here and know you want us to thrive, too.

Love,

Andres

Chef/Owner of Snail Bar