Umami Mart Pop-Up in Old Oakland

The Umami Mart Shop popped up in Old Oakland for five days last week inside Piper + John General Goods, located on the charming brick road of 9th Street. It was a great success! We launched on the bustling "First Friday", which is a huge sprawling art party throughout Oakland every month, thrown by the organization Art Murmur. Nicole of Piper + John was so kind to let us have a prime corner in the entryway. All our products looked dashing in the sunlight. We served sake from Takara. First pour was complimentary, and bottomless pours if you bought a sake glass! Maya Shiroyama of the Kitazawa Seed Company -- she's based in Oakland! Piano and clarinet by the super talented John Brothers Piano Company: We were all happy to have such incredible musicians right on the sidewalk. One of the most valuable aspect we learned about having a physical space are the people that you meet and talk to for feedback -- something you seldom get from just running an online shop. And most importantly, we got to talk to people about our products! We feature many items that people had never even seen before (like the pickle press!). It was so great to be able to talk about our stuff and how to use them properly. Jacobo and Washi: Thank you so much for all of our friends and supporters for stopping by throughout our five-day stay at Piper + John. A huge thank you and big hug for Nicole Buffett, owner of Piper + John, whose creative mind and collaborative spirit continues to inspire us. Now, wouldn't it be great if we opened our own shop...????? *Photos by Johnny Lopes.