OAKLAND -- An Oakland native who followed her passion was hoping to be part of the change that helped turn her hometown around. Instead, Chef Leilani Baugh is closing the doors of her restaurant.Baugh started cooking meals out of her home and eventually opened a restaurant in West Oakland, blocks away from where she grew up. Now her restaurant will close at the end of the month.'It's hard because I grew up here. This is like my baby,' she said.
In the end, she says crime in Oakland drove her customers away.'My patrons don't feel safe. Not necessarily not safe coming here but they don't feel safe coming to Oakland,' she said.While Chef Leilani still has a successful catering business, she was hoping to help in the revival of Oakland.'There's this rich history of culture and music that we're trying to bring back and we can't.