Berkeley Bowl


Berkeley Bowl is an independent grocery store in Berkeley, California. Owned by Glenn and Diane Yasuda, it sells organic and natural products and has an extensive produce section. It has two locations in the city. Glenn Yasuda died on February 14, 2020 aged 85.
The business name stems from their first store location, in a former bowling alley.

History

Started as a small local grocery store in 1977 by Glenn and Diane Yasuda, it now has two locations in Berkeley. The original store was located in a converted bowling alley at 2777 Shattuck Avenue, and moved to a renovated Safeway at 2020 Oregon Street in 1999. In 2003, it employed 250 people and there was a drive for unionization. A second location, Berkeley Bowl West, opened at 9th and Heinz in 2009.
In 2008, the Los Angeles Times wrote that it was "this strident city's most popular grocery store."
In April 2019, a class-action lawsuit was brought against Berkeley Bowl claiming that the grocery store was not properly paying its employees for overtime.