In discussing this Saturday’s grand opening party for Hyphy Burger in West Oakland, locally raised rapper Guap (aka Guapdad 4000) sounds like he’s describing the circus coming to town.
“We’ve got face paint for the kids, a photo booth, a jumper and horses,” he says. “And then we’ll roll in the cars, and the DJ starts.”
Since its soft opening back in February, the burger-fries-and-shakes joint has had a constant line of patrons. Now, Guap and the team of local owners will celebrate the restaurant’s official grand opening with an expansion of the menu (with more burger options, including a pastrami burger and a veggie burger) and food giveaways for those who arrive early.
While Hyphy Burger is an ode to the term “the king of the super-duper-hyphy,” Keak Da Sneak, helped popularize — one that represents the hyperactive energy that brewed out of the inner city of the Bay Area and fueled a cultural phenomenon in the early aughts — today the burger shack on West Grand and Market stands as another local eatery gaining its footing in a churning sea of ups and downs for East Bay food establishments.
To launch the restaurant, Guap (real name Akeem Hayes) teamed up with Darion Frazier (known for his social media food reviews under the moniker @bayareafoodz), Julian “Jigga” Ervin and a duo of brothers, Fakri and Zakaria “Zack” Alwajeeh.
With an initial aim of opening a cheesesteak shop, Frazier joined Guap on tour with DMV Area lyricist Wale and Philadelphia MC Young Chris (of the Young Gunz), stopping in Philly to survey the local cuisine.
“I recommended that we change it to smash burgers because I live in Los Angeles,” says Guap, noting how the craze over the flattened burgers was taking over Southern California. “I liked the simplicity of it, and I felt like it was doable.”
Frazier, the food influencer, did more research and development, testing over 30 different burger spots and taking notes on his experiences. Guap, who in addition to rapping is an actor, designer and model, took the lead on other aspects of the business.
“I run, for the most part, creative design and customer experience,” he says, adding that he designed the employee uniforms and created a comic book that will be given away during Saturday’s event. “I did the 3-D mock-up for the fry holders and the bag,” says Guap. “I learned how to do that just to make our own for the restaurant.”
The team added tables with signage that harken back 20 years to the era of going 18-dummy. The restaurant’s speakers blast local Bay Area hip-hop, new and old. The menu boasts a “Ya Feel Me” sauce, and the milkshakes are called “Stunna Shakes,” a play off of stunna shades.
There’s even a mini short bus parked outside of the restaurant, a nod to the unfortunate side of the hyphy movement that made light of stigmas about people with learning disabilities.
The bright logos and fresh yellow, red and blue paint have replaced the signage from the old All Star Donuts & Burgers that previously occupied the building.
“And it’s crazy too,” exclaims Guap, “because we finna add donuts to the menu, and really call back to that. I’m not even playing, I’m working on the logo now.”
The recent revitalization of West Oakland’s food scene has been a process of two steps forward and one step back. There are newer eateries like the Prescott Market, June’s Pizza and Soul Blends Coffee. There’s also a running list of closures that includes places like the famed Horn BBQ, which last year closed its West Oakland establishment and reopened in a new downtown location.
Guap, who grew up in the neighborhood, understands this sea change. “I think the average person in the West, where we put the restaurant, wants to see new shiny things,” he says.
In seeing how people have flocked to the business since its soft launch, whether to enjoy the food or film music videos at the establishment, Guap notes that there’s value in making something presentable for the community. But it has to be bigger than doing it for clicks and shares.
“I want people to Instagram some quality,” he says, alluding to it being deeper than social media. “I want to bring actual value to the real estate in the community.”
It’s not an easy process. In the six months since its soft launch, the business has experienced employee turnover, isn’t yet on the delivery service apps and hasn’t opened its drive-thru window. But with the impending launch of a second location on 98th in Deep East Oakland, Guap says what they’re really celebrating on Saturday is the baby steps of a burgeoning business.
“It’s been crazy to have that line of people” says Guap. “It is a blessing though. It’s a great problem to have.”
The solution, he says — for his team or any other business in their position — is to do research, work with the City and find a team of people who have the same “motion as you.” Ultimately, Guap says, it’s about working with “your innermost community and pooling your resources” to create something that benefits the larger collective.
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