How Many Restaurants Does Tanya Holland Have?

Tanya Holland Restaurants: Key Takeaways

As of July 2025, Tanya Holland does not own or operate any restaurants.
Her most notable restaurant, Brown Sugar Kitchen in Oakland, California, operated from 2008 to 2022 and earned multiple Michelin Bib Gourmand awards.
Holland’s restaurant concepts focused on modern soul food and casual comfort classics, primarily located in Oakland and San Francisco.
None of her restaurants received Michelin stars, and she has no international or franchised operations.

Chef Tanya Holland has had a significant impact on the Oakland food scene through her celebrated restaurants, focusing on soul food and classic comfort fare. Though currently she does not own any active venues, her influence continues through her culinary legacy.

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This article explores Tanya Holland’s restaurant history, detailing her past establishments, their concepts, locations, and accolades, as well as her current absence from the restaurant ownership landscape.

Tanya Holland Restaurants: Global Presence and Restaurant Count

As of mid-2025, Tanya Holland does not own or currently operate any restaurants. All of her previous establishments have since closed, marking a pause in her direct culinary operations.

During her active years as a restaurateur, Holland owned and operated three main venues—all located in the San Francisco Bay Area, primarily in Oakland, California.

Region	Approx. Number of Restaurants	Notable Examples
Oakland, California, USA	3 (all closed)	Brown Sugar Kitchen, B-Side BBQ, Town Fare
San Francisco, California, USA	0	No active restaurants; occasional pop-ups and collaborations
Total (Global)	0 (as of July 2025)	Formerly 3 (no international venues or franchises)

Notably, Holland never expanded beyond the U.S. West Coast, and none of her restaurants operated as franchises or licensed locations.

The closure of Brown Sugar Kitchen in 2022, followed by Town Fare’s closure the same year, concluded her era as an active restaurateur.

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Michelin-Starred Flagship Restaurants

Tanya Holland's restaurants have not been awarded Michelin stars. However, her flagship Brown Sugar Kitchen received several Michelin Bib Gourmand awards, given to restaurants offering good quality and good value.

The Bib Gourmand is a significant honor that recognizes the accessibility and consistency of her cuisine rather than the haute cuisine Michelin stars acknowledge.

This distinction highlights Holland’s commitment to delivering approachable, flavorful soul food and comfort dishes without the formalities of fine dining.

Brown Sugar Kitchen (Oakland, CA) – Awarded multiple Michelin Bib Gourmand honors.
No other Michelin-starred restaurants were operated by Tanya Holland.

While Michelin stars eluded her portfolio, Holland’s culinary contributions were celebrated through these alternative accolades and strong community recognition.

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Notable Tanya Holland Restaurant Concepts and Locations

Tanya Holland's restaurant portfolio has consisted of three significant concepts centered on modern soul food and casual dining, each serving distinct roles during their respective operational periods.

Brown Sugar Kitchen

Brown Sugar Kitchen was Holland’s signature restaurant, open from 2008 to 2022 in Oakland, California.

It was widely acclaimed for its interpretation of soul food classics such as buttermilk fried chicken and cornmeal waffles. The venue promoted a casual yet high-quality dining experience with a price range generally between $15 and $30 per person.

The restaurant was a beloved local institution and a culinary landmark in the Bay Area, earning repeated Michelin Bib Gourmand awards and strong press recognition.

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B-Side BBQ

Operating between 2011 and 2015, B-Side BBQ was Holland's venture into casual barbecue cuisine and was also located in Oakland.

The concept focused on traditional barbecue staples delivered with Holland’s signature soulful touch. It complemented her main brand by offering a more relaxed, quick-serve option focused on smoked meats and classic sides.

Town Fare

Town Fare operated for a brief period from 2021 to 2022 inside the Oakland Museum of California.

This venue functioned more as a museum café, bringing Holland’s culinary style to a cultural setting, emphasizing approachable but refined comfort food for museum visitors.

The partnership with the Oakland Museum marked Holland’s last active restaurant operation.

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Tanya Holland Restaurant Empire: Conclusion

In conclusion, Tanya Holland’s restaurant portfolio is defined by a small but impactful collection of venues rooted in modern soul food and casual dining, all based in Oakland, California.

As of July 2025, she does not own or operate any restaurants, with her last venue closing in early 2022. Her establishments never received Michelin stars but gained recognition through multiple Michelin Bib Gourmand awards, underscoring quality and value.

Holland’s focused geographic footprint and absence of franchising reflect a more localized approach rather than an expansive global empire.

Her culinary legacy remains significant in the Bay Area culinary community, where her restaurants were celebrated for accessible, soulful dishes that combined tradition with modern sensibilities.

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01. How involved is Tanya Holland in day-to-day restaurant operations?

As of July 2025, Tanya Holland does not own or operate any restaurants, so she is not involved in daily restaurant management.

While she previously owned and operated restaurants herself, she directly oversaw culinary and operational matters during those periods. Since her last establishment closed in early 2022, her current focus has shifted away from running restaurants.

02. Are Tanya Holland’s restaurants expensive—and which ones offered the best value?

Tanya Holland’s restaurants were positioned in the casual dining segment, with prices typically in the $15–$30 per person range.

Brown Sugar Kitchen, her flagship, was the most noted venue offering great value for quality soul food classics—earning Michelin Bib Gourmand distinctions for its affordability and consistent quality.

Her other venues, B-Side BBQ and Town Fare, followed a similar casual and approachable pricing model.

03. How does Tanya Holland choose new cities or countries for expansion?

Historically, Tanya Holland’s restaurant operations were concentrated in Oakland, California. There is no public information indicating plans to expand beyond the Bay Area.

Her closures and absence of current restaurants suggest she is not actively pursuing expansion into new cities or countries as of 2025.

04. Are Tanya Holland’s restaurants sustainable or locally sourced?

While specific sustainability programs were not heavily publicized, Tanya Holland’s restaurants focused on quality and freshness, supporting local ingredients when possible.

Brown Sugar Kitchen, for example, emphasized seasonal produce and responsibly sourced ingredients consistent with many modern casual dining practices.

05. Can you book Tanya Holland restaurants online—and are there loyalty programs?

Because Tanya Holland currently operates no restaurants, online reservations are not available for any active venues.

When her restaurants were active, reservations were typically handled via phone or standard online platforms, but there were no known loyalty programs associated with her brands.