Oakland restaurant owners hold meeting in hopes to improve downtown scene NBC Bay Area [Video]

Oakland restaurant owners are hoping to change the public safety narrative when it comes to dining in the town.

They held their first meeting of the year on Monday at Sobre Mesa restaurant. The collective is about getting people together to say Oakland is better in person. They are restaurant owners coming together to form the “Oakland Restaurant Marketing Collective.”

The purpose of the collective is for businesses to come together to support and help market the rich culture of Oakland’s dining scene, an area that’s been in the headlines for different reasons due to ongoing crime.

“What we’re trying to build is the streets have gotten better, public safety has gotten better in, at least certain areas. And we need to let our guests know it’s safe to come support us,” said Nelson German, chef and owner of Sobre Mesa.

Back in June, California Governor Gavin Newsom shared a …