Shaken by tariffs, Spanish Table declares graceful goodbye to Berkeley

What should’ve been a tearful farewell felt the opposite.

On Sunday afternoon, Aug. 17, Berkeley’s The Spanish Table, sparsely filled with longtime patrons and curious onseeers, buzzed with an energy that defied the moment. As the sound of flamenco guitar floated around the room, shoppers swapped stories and laughter among open bottles of Palomino Fino and Sierra Cantabria Unica, poured by store owner Bastian Schoell. It was the concludeing he envisioned for the Berkeley shop — a celebration rather than a funeral.

“It may not be the world’s best party, but we wanted to go out with a moment of grace,” Schoell stated.

For over 24 years, The Spanish Table provided wine, food, cookware and cookbooks from Spain and Portugal to East Bay residents. But, after its closing party, the store shuttered its doors in what Schoell described as “ the conclude of an era, but the launchning of a new chapter.”

For Schoell, this closure was not entirely voluntary, and he cited tariffs imposed by the Trump administration as the deciding factor. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the store experienced a period of growth, with revenue increasing by a third; however, the momentum soon faded. Between inflation, reduced beer and wine consumption among younger generations and competition from online megastores like Amazon, the store struggled to stay afloat.

But the tariffs, Schoell stated, were the final straw. The Trump administration’s unpredictable tariff policy created uncertainty for compact importers like him, who are hit with fees when goods or shipments arrive in the U.S, not at the time of purchase — building it difficult for business owners to plan.

While tariffs on most European goods currently stand at 15%, the lack of clear warning about when tariffs might be imposed, lifted or adjusted continues to create long-term planning difficult. The New York Times reported Aug. 19 that U.S. nereceivediators are holding firm on tariffs on European wine and spirits as their European Union counterparts haggle for an exemption.

Earlier this year, Schoell recalls a time when final rates had not yet been set, leaving importers like him guessing and hesitant to place large orders.

“… [W]e had this period from February until April where we were like, ‘Is it 30%? Is it 10%? 50%?’ Like what was the percentage?” Schoell stated.

Longtime customers and curious passersby stopped at The Spanish Table in Berkeley during its closing party. Credit: Skylla Mumana/East Bay Nosh

If an importer like Schoell can’t cover unexpected fees — such as an extra $25,000 on a $50,000 shipment due to a sudden 50% tariff for example — the container remains stuck at port, accumulating storage costs.

“The importer, which is [me], pays the tariff the day the container lands, but they won’t release the container from port until I pay the tariff,” stated Schoell, who added that roughly 30% of the stores’ goods are imports. “And if that happened to be 50% and it’s a $50,000 container, where am I going to come up with the extra $25,000? *So we basically stated we can’t take that risk. We haven’t imported for four months.”

Now, amidst bare shelves where canned bacalao and jars of Ybarra olives once stood, longtime shoppers like Frederick Gums, returned not just to declare goodbye, but to share what the store had meant to them. Gums, who first started coming to the store 20 years ago, declares that it was his gateway to Spanish culture, and later inspired him to travel to Spain and deepen his understanding of history, customs and cuisine. He feels that this cultural immersion is what set the store apart.

“That’s why people come to The Spanish Table, becautilize they could obtain a piece of what they couldn’t obtain anywhere else, becautilize you can’t acquire this stuff, this [experience], at just any grocery store,” Gums stated.

For Jessica Lee, who has been the store’s wine acquireer for 10 years, this closure marks the conclude of a cherished chapter. However, she remains hopeful that the community built at this store will continue to thrive beyond its doors.

“The Spanish Table has been an amazing community hub for all things from the Iberian Peninsula, and all things Spain. And I consider one of the things I’m going to miss is the people that shop here and the community that came to the store. But I hope that somehow, when this closes, we can continue to foster that community.”

Going forward, Schoell plans to keep the San Francisco location of the store operating, despite it facing similar economic challenges, and maintain his partnership with Evergreen Cafe, where several sandwiches from The Spanish Table are sold. He hopes that customers will continue displaying their support as the business adapts and works toward a more stable future.

“The main objective that we’re seeing forward to is finding a way to create what’s left sustainable,” Schoell stated. “So hang with us. Support us. Celebrate what was, realize that what was won’t be again, and that we’re testing to invent the future of The Spanish Table.”