Hasta Muerte, Oakland cafe that refused to serve to cops, faces uncertain future

A customer arrives at Hasta Muerte Coffee in Oakland, Calif. on Friday, March 9, 2018. Owners of the cafe on Fruitvale Avenue are refusing service to uniformed police officers. A customer arrives at Hasta Muerte Coffee in Oakland, Calif. on Friday, March 9, 2018. Owners of the cafe on Fruitvale Avenue are refusing service to uniformed police officers. Photo: Paul Chinn / The Chronicle Buy photo Photo: Paul Chinn / The Chronicle Image 1 of / 15 Caption Close Hasta Muerte, Oakland cafe that refused to serve to cops, faces uncertain future 1 / 15 Back to Gallery

Hasta Muerte Coffee had only been open four months before an incident with Oakland police spun them into a whirlwind of controversy. Now, the cafe faces displacement.

The mixed-use building that houses the cafe is up for sale, according to a statement from a GoFundMe page purportedly set up by Hasta Muerte. The East Bay Express reported the building has already received a bid of $960,000, a figure the cafe has the ability to match by virtue of a "first refusal clause," if it can scrape together the funds.

The cafe wrote that they have until Friday to match the bid, which they say they'll do through donations, low interest community loans, and the Oakland Community Land Trust. As of Monday, the cafe had raised $15,650 of its $75,000 goal.

The Latinx-owned collective coffee shop had been planning their operation for years before it became a reality in November — acquiring permits, installing plumbing systems, and electricity. They'd spent over a year renovating the space, which had previously operated as a clandestine gambling spot that was eventually shut down, the East Bay Express reported.

"The owner of the property knew that the year of labor we put into transforming the building would add to its value and they are making quick moves to capitalize off of our efforts," the cafe wrote.

Around the same time the building went up for sale, the cafe was dealing with the aftermath of an altercation in which one of its baristas refused to serve coffee to a police officer in uniform, citing its dedication to maintaining the space as a safe sanctuary for its community members who are immigrants, of color, or low-income status.

Right-wing protesters from the Patriot Prayer group picketed outside the cafe, and within a few days, the cafe's Yelp rating faced an online assault of one-star reviews.

"We held our ground under pressure from politicians, law enforcement, right wing extremists, and the media, with an outpour of support from communities from all over the world who understood the stance we took," the cafe wrote on its GoFundMe page.

Working with the Oakland Community Land Trust would be an opportunity to keep the building in the hands of the collective and solidify the housing status of its low-income residents.

Hasta Muerte did not immediately respond to a request for an interview.

Read Annie Vainshtein's latest stories here. Send her news tips at avainshtein@sfchronicle.com. Twitter: @annievain