Photograph by Calliope Arkilic
After announcing its relocation several weeks ago, Sliver Pizzeria has reopened on Telegraph Avenue. Arguably the most popular restaurant for Berkeley High School (BHS) students out to lunch, its Center Street closing came as a surprise to the BHS community.
In a statement released on their website and Facebook page, the owners of Sliver said, “It will be a bittersweet transition but, we are beyond forever grateful to everyone who has made these 5 years possible and helped us grow. It would not have been possible without all of your endless love and support. It’s been an honor to serve our community and get to know so many wonderful people along the way.”
BHS junior Anna Portnoy was saddened by the closing. “It was a place for all the people of Berkeley. BHS, BCC, Cal students along with [their] families and now it feels more like just another thing for Cal students,” said Portnoy.
The restaurant was first opened on Center Street in 2013 by three men who had worked at Cheese Board Pizza in North Berkeley.
Guillermo Perez is one of Sliver’s founders. “I love Berkeley and seeing the young BHS faces year after year keeps me feeling young and excited to do more in this great community of ours. I can still remember rushing out of Berkeley High as soon as the lunch bell rang and running to grab lunch off campus on Shattuck,” said Perez, who attended Berkeley elementary schools, Martin Luther King Middle School, and BHS.
“I was always searching for something cheap and fast, so it really meant a lot to be able to provide the same experience to so many students where I see myself in them,” he said. “I love Berkeley and I will continue to grow my roots here,” Perez continued.
However, Perez explained, the restaurant business is a tough one.
“You would think opening a business in the town you grew up in that is walking distance from the high school you attended would be a dream come true.” He said that, unfortunately, operating a business requires making harsh decisions.
“I’m really sad Sliver closed,” said BHS senior Uma Nagarajan-Swenson. “It was definitely a staple for most BHS students and it seemed so sudden and out of nowhere because they seemed to be doing really well,” she continued.
She believes that BHS students will try and find an alternative restaurant to fill the hole Sliver has left in Downtown Berkeley. “Hopefully we will be able to find another spot to replace Sliver but I don’t know if that is possible,” said Nagarajan-Swenson.
On Wednesday, Sliver announced that it will be opening a second location in Downtown Berkeley.