Cafe Sahara - Oakland

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The Cafe Sahara building is located on the edge of Chinatown. The building’s construction date is 1913, according to the parcel information available through the City of Oakland. A 1917 phone book lists 601 Jackson as the location of Wanto Gakuyen Japanese School. By 1941, the location was listed as the site of Wanto Hall. Wanto Hall was a part of Oakland’s Japantown and has since been demolished. The location has a single Yelp review, which says that Cafe Sahara was a nightclub, and - during the day and early evenings - restaurant. The rooftop sign is claimed to be “a remnant of a red light district that flickered and burned out, which offered female companionship for $18/hour.” This may be a reference to the space’s time as a taxi dance club. In 2004, the building caught fire, and it was discovered that the tenants were growing $200,000 worth of marijuana plants. The owner said that prior to the fire, the building had been used as a practice space for bands.