10/16/2026
Dear friends, a celebration of 15 years of Oaktown!
In 2011 we opened the doors to Oaktown Spice Shop with thrifted furniture, a small collection of our own spice blends and a dogeared copy of Business Plans for Dummies. We had a dream, a very strong smell of cumin on everything we owned, and more optimism than business sense.
Some things we’ve learned since then:
1. We have the best customers. You’ve shared recipes, brought us leftovers, told us about the first dish you ever made with Kampot Peppercorns, and trusted us with your family’s holiday meals. Kids who used to come in with their parents have grown up and gotten jobs at our shops. We don’t take any of it for granted.
2. Running a business with your spouse is an adventure. We’ve survived disastrous inventory counts, many pounds of spilled peppercorns, arguments over spice blend names, and we’re still happily married.
3. Freshness matters. Fifteen years in, we still believe a good spice can turn an ordinary Tuesday dinner into something worth talking about. That has been the whole idea from the start.
4. We couldn’t have done it without our team. Like any good dish, a successful small business takes a lot of behind-the-scenes work that most people never see. All along the way, our staff members have shown up with care and attention to make this company what it is. From our early days as one small shop to now having the warehouse crew, four shop teams, operations and leadership, we are grateful to everyone who helped build Oaktown.
Here’s to the next 15 years: more flavors, more stories, and hopefully fewer peppercorn spills. We’d love to hear from you, so let us know your favorite memory, your go-to spice, or what you’d like to see on our shelves next.
With all our gratitude (and a pinch of salt),
Erica and John, and here we are getting the keys to our first location on Grand Ave (2011) ❤️
Scroll for a few more memories throughout the years…
Got our first logo! (2011)
Early days at the original shop (2012)
Moved into our present location in Oakland (2015)
Opening our Albany shop (2017)
Moved production into our Berkeley warehouse (2020)
Grand opening of our San Francisco Shop (2023)
Celeb
