Upstairs Cafe Soft-Opens Above Snail Bar on Shattuck in Oakland

A new daytime cafe and lounge called Upstairs has begun its soft opening in a converted apartment above chef Andres Giraldo Florez’s Snail Bar at 4935 Shattuck Ave. in Oakland’s Temescal neighborhood, while federal courtroom proceedings in the Oakland public corruption trial completed Day 8 of testimony on Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2026, according to Oct. 27–28, 2026 reports from the East Bay Express and East Bay Insiders.

Sammy Chang Turns 4935 Shattuck Ave. Apartment Into an Oakland “Third Place”

As profiled by East Bay Express writer Jeffrey Edalatpour, Upstairs operates Friday through Monday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the second floor above Snail Bar (where chef Zach Breaux leads the French Louisiana-style dinner kitchen starting at 5 p.m.). Furnished like a welcoming living room with vintage curtains, sofa cushions, blanket throws, a ceiling-mounted abstract painting, and a hi-fi stereo system, Upstairs was conceived by Creative Director Sammy Chang and Snail Bar owner Andres Giraldo Florez before Florez traveled to rural France to establish an auberge.

Chang, who previously worked in the coffee and music industries and is best friends with Florez’s wife, Jules Butt, joined Snail Bar five years ago when a sous chef broke his wrist and she was earning roughly $700 every two weeks. After learning kitchen operations from the ground up and handling city permits, Chang now runs every part of Upstairs—from pulling espresso shots to baking seasonal food.

During its soft-opening phase, Chang is keeping the menu approachable and affordable:

• Food Offerings: Toast with butter and jam ($8), English tea toast ($12), a bacon, egg, and cheese breakfast sandwich, and rotating weekly specials such as savory hand pies with apples and Comté cheese ($9).
• Beverages: Espresso and matcha drinks capped at $8, including a house-made pumpkin spice latte ($8) crafted by roasting whole fairytale pumpkins from scratch.

“When I went to L.A. there was a coffee that was $10, so the fact that our most expensive coffee item is $8—and it’s the special of the week,” Chang told the East Bay Express. “Ultimately for me: Also how it can be a community space in Oakland.”

Day 8 of Oakland Corruption Trial Focuses on FBI Handling of Witness Mario Juarez

In federal court Tuesday, Oct. 27, defense attorneys in Day 8 of the Oakland public corruption trial of former Mayor Sheng Thao and three co-defendants cross-examined FBI Special Agent Katherine Barclay over why federal investigators seized the defendants’ electronic devices during the June 2024 raids but never seized the cellphones, computers, or iPad of cooperating political operative Mario Juarez, according to courtroom coverage by East Bay Insiders reporter Steve Tavares.

“For Mr. Juarez, you made a different decision,” Jeff Schenk, an attorney for defendant David Duong, told Barclay. Barclay testified that agents had already obtained substantial data through search warrants on Juarez’s iCloud and email accounts. Mark Goldrosen, representing Thao’s former partner Andre Jones, also presented promotional material, Sept. 2023 San Jose meeting photos, and messages about modular homes shipped from Mexico to argue that Jones performed government relations work for the Evolutionary Homes venture rather than holding a no-show job, while noting that proposed housing transactions and an alleged city leadership appointment for employee Larry Gallegos never materialized.

Later Tuesday, FBI analyst Katherine Higgons testified for roughly 10 minutes that agents searching Andy Duong’s garage found a silver watch and gold braided bracelet—allegedly taken from Juarez during a May 3, 2024 confrontation outside California Waste Solutions in Oakland—stored inside a bank deposit envelope in a white cabinet.

Separately, U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers signed a statutory immunity and compulsion order for former Evolutionary Homes employee Cecilia Mendez after ensuring Mendez was appointed legal counsel. Prosecutors plan to play 10 excerpts of board meeting audio recordings Mendez made to prepare meeting minutes, followed by scheduled testimony from former Oakland Assistant City Administrator LaTonda Simmons, former City Administrator Jestin Johnson, and Juarez.