APPROVED AS TO FORM AND LEGALITY
________________________
CITY ATTORNEY’S OFFICE
OAKLAND CITY COUNCIL
RESOLUTION NO. ______________ C.M.S.
INTRODUCED BY COUNCILMEMBER REBECCA KAPLAN
RESOLUTION RECOGNIZING PEERLESS COFFEE & TEA, A COFFEE
AND TEA ROASTING RETAILER FOUNDED IN 1924 BY JOHN
VUKASIN, CELEBRATING 100 YEARS OF OPERATING IN THE CITY OF OAKLAND , AND DECLARING OCTOBER 1 , 2024, “PEERLESS
COFFEE DAY IN OAKLAND”
WHEREAS, John Vuk asin arrived in the United States in 1920 from the former Yugoslavia. He established Peerless Coffee and Tea ( “Peerless Coffee”) to provide the highest - quality artisan blended European-style coffee; and
WHEREAS, in 1924, Vukasin opened the first Peerless Coffee storefront at 9th Street and Washington Avenue in the present -day neighborhood of Old Town Oakland. Together with his wife, Natalie Vukasin, the Vukasins operated Peerless Coffee, determined to deliver an excellent customer experience and Oakland hospitality to every patron; and
WHEREAS, in 1957, George Vukasin, the son of John and Natalie, took the helm of Peerless Coffee, growing the business exponentially and continuing the family tradition. George operated the company alongside his wife Sonja and their children George and Kristina; and
WHEREAS, as George’s vision for his family business expanded successfully, George Jr. and Kristina began taking on more responsibilities. Eventually, Peerless Coffee’s reputation for world-class artisan coffee led to nationwide demand for its artisan blends, creating the need for a larger space. Thus, Peerless Coffee would move into a new facility that encompasses an entire city block – on Oak Street near Jack London Square, where the family business still resides; and
WHEREAS, today, George Vukasin has entrusted the company's operations to George Jr. and Kristina. Together the two are the 3rd generation to run the company, who have expanded the Peerless brand into new sectors of coffee mercantile such as a range of home and hospitality coffee equipment, and greatly expanding the variety of the company’s coffee and tea portfolio; and
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WHEREAS, Peerless Coffee has demonstrated, through its 100 years of operation, how individuals like John Vukasin can prosper in the City of Oakland while simultaneously contributing to the legacy and reputation of the City of Oakland; and
WHEREAS, Peerless Coffee’s 100 years of reputation stand as a living testament to the Vukasin spirit of industry and the City of Oakland’s commitment to business by fostering a community where people from all walks of life can fulfill their dreams and thrive for decades; now therefore be it
RESOLVED: That the Oakland City Council recognizes and honors Peerless Coffee and Teas and celebrates its 100 years of operation in the City of Oakland, and be it
FURTHER RESOLVED: That the Oakland City Council declares October 1, 2024, to be “Peerless Coffee Day in Oakland.”
IN COUNCIL, OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA,
PASSED BY THE FOLLOWING VOTE:
AYES - FIFE, GALLO, JENKINS, KALB, KAPLAN, RAMACHANDRAN, REID, AND
PRESIDENT FORTUNATO BAS
NOES –
ABSENT –
ABSTENTION –
ATTEST:
ASHA REED
City Clerk and Clerk of the Council of the
City of Oakland, California