06/18/2026
The Townhouse Restaurant is my favorite place in Emeryville! This news is so disappointing because I know how hard Dan Seng worked on keeping The Townhouse around. I'm an optimist and hope and pray that something will work out to keep this historical landmark in Emeryville.
The Townhouse was my account in the 90s as a sales rep selling beer and running marketing programs for Horizon Beverages/Anheuser-Busch. I continued my relationship there through Todd O'Leary, who was a bartender and now the coolest General Manager ever! Todd O'Leary not only is a great friend but a huge supporter of Johnnie Mae's Gumbo! Both Todd and Dan were encouraging and allowed me to host Gumbo pop-ups and workshops, hosting hundreds of high school students from Bishop O'Dowd, Alameda High, Encinal High School, and Concord High School. Mr. Tony Green of Bishop O'Dowd's AP African American Studies Classes has received such positive feedback for his field trips for his AP Studies that the College Board came to visit the Townhouse to see a Johnnie Mae's Gumbo African American Studies Immersive Cultural Storytelling and Culinary Heritage Workshop in person. Every year the students look forward to coming to the Townhouse. Teachers and school districts reach out to me regularly to plan for their next AP African American Studies Workshop at the Townhouse with Johnnie Mae's Gumbo. This is going to be very sad to relay to all my supporters and high schools.
The Townhouse is more than a restaurant and bar; it is a staple in the Emeryville Community and a meeting place where you never know who you may meet, and a place where the regulars knew everyone by name. I'm deeply saddened and hopeful that everything will work out for the best 😇
