Legacy Berkeley Business Turns 100

BERKELEY — A legacy Berkeley business turned 100 Sunday, and the East Bay city celebrated in grand fashion.

The city shuttered Claremont Avenue on Sunday afternoon to hold a celebration commemorating Star Grocery’s milestone.

The grocery store has survived World War II, the Great Depression, two global pandemics and it got by just fine for most of that time without a smartphone.

Berkeley Mayor Jesse Arreguín issued a proclamation declaring April 10th Star Grocery Day in the city of Berkeley and acknowledged owner Nick Pappas' 50 years of operating the business.

The Berkeley High School Jazz Band performed at the event, city officials said.

“As a global pandemic winds down that devastated small businesses around the world, I could not be more proud to celebrate the resilience of this community and a business that has served Berkeley for 100 years,” Arreguín said in a statement.

“Our recovery has just begun, but moments like these remind us what’s possible when we persevere.”