Mystery Deepens as Search Continues for Missing Oakland Cafe Owner

The search continues for Amy Hillyard, a 52 year old coffee shop owner who went missing last week after taking a walk from her home. Described by friends and family as a caring, community oriented person, Hillyard vanished on March 25, leaving the Oakland and East Bay community desperate for answers. Authorities have classified her as at risk due to an unspecified medical condition. Days have now passed, and the mystery of her disappearance has only deepened.

Disappearance Details

Hillyard was last seen about 2 p.m. on March 25, taking a walk near her home in the 500 block of Radnor Road in the Cleveland Heights area, which is near Lake Merritt. She did not have her cell phone with her, authorities said.

A mother of two, Hillyard is considered at risk because of an unspecified medical condition. On Sunday, at the request of Oakland police, the California Highway Patrol issued an At Risk Missing Person advisory for Alameda, San Francisco, and San Mateo counties.

Oakland police released flyers with her picture to the media and posted them in different areas she has been known to frequent, including hiking trails. The Alameda County Sheriff’s Office, through its Office of Emergency Services, has provided search and rescue personnel.

Despite these efforts, including trailing dogs to help search some areas, authorities have not yet been able to locate her.

A Beloved Community Member

Hillyard is not just known to her family. She is deeply woven into the fabric of Oakland’s community. She co owns Farley’s East coffee shop, located at 33 Grand Avenue in Oakland, with her husband, Chris. They also co own the original Farley’s in San Francisco.

Those who know her describe a woman defined by her generosity and care for others. Hugo Cesar, a manager at Farley’s East, spoke about what drew him to work there. I used to come here, bring my kids, back in the day, he said. That’s the reason I started working with Chris and Amy. And they’re just great people.

Cesar expressed the growing concern felt as days pass. It’s very concerning, he said. In the beginning, the first day, it’s almost like you don’t believe it. Then after that, every day starts getting harder. It’s been a while now.

Eric Tuan, artistic director at the Piedmont East Bay Children’s Choir in Oakland, described Hillyard’s impact on the community. She really is a beloved community member, he said. At the vigil, it was said, she would be the first person to organize a search like this if someone else in our community had gone missing.

The Hillyards’ daughter sang for 12 years in the choir, which serves hundreds of youth singers in the East Bay. Until recently, Amy Hillyard served as its board president. Tuan spoke to the character that has made her so important to the community.

Amy is very community oriented and has this incredible welcoming, can do spirit. She’s really passionate about feeding people. She was always cooking and showing love through food at choir events.

The Community Responds

Friends and family have joined in the search. A vigil was held for Hillyard Sunday night at Lake Merritt, drawing people who care about her and want to bring her home safely.

Nora Haron, the CEO of Kopi Bar and Bakery in Berkeley, worked as the director of food operations for Farley’s in 2014, when she got to know Amy and Chris. She described the Hillyards as possessing a deep love for their community and a passion for taking care of those around them.

Amy is incredibly smart and kind, someone who carries a real sense of home and vision in everything she does, Haron said. She has always been the kind of person who shows up for others without hesitation. If she knew someone needed help, she would be the first to offer it.

Haron spoke about what Farley’s East means to the community. It’s more than just a place to eat. It’s a place where people feel seen, welcomed and cared for. She means a great deal to so many of us, and we are all hoping for her safe return.

On the Oakland Food subreddit, a user named Joygirl007 shared how Farley’s East had been important in her own life. When I was a journalist, I used to meet sources at Farley’s East because it made them feel safe enough to talk to me. I wrote my second novel in the upstairs balcony with the Shut Up and Write group before the pandemic. Hope she’s found safe.

The impact Hillyard has had on countless people in Oakland continues to resonate as the search goes on.

A Community United

Savor Oakland, the consumer brand of the Oakland Restaurant Collective, has been instrumental in rallying the community. Through an Instagram post, they asked for volunteers to join in searches and for the community to continue to stay aware and amplify the message.

Keep your eyes open and your hearts with her. Let’s bring Amy home to her loved ones, the post read. These words capture the sentiment driving the search effort.

She’s surrounded by a lot of love in Oakland and the East Bay, Tuan said, and we all are just working and hoping to bring her home as soon as we can. This is what has driven the vigil, the search efforts, the community mobilization.

Oakland has come together in a way that reflects how deeply Amy Hillyard is valued and loved in her community.

How You Can Help

Anyone with information about Amy Hillyard’s disappearance is asked to contact the Oakland Police Missing Persons Unit at 510 238 3641 or call 911 immediately.

Information of any kind, no matter how small it may seem, could be crucial in locating her. Those who see her or believe they have information about her whereabouts are urged to contact authorities without delay.

The community continues to ask for volunteers to join search efforts. Organizations like the Oakland Restaurant Collective continue to coordinate and mobilize resources to bring Amy home.

Every day matters. Every piece of information matters. Every effort to bring her home matters.

A Case That Touched Hearts

The disappearance of Amy Hillyard is not just a missing persons case. It is a moment that has brought together a community united by love for one woman and determination to bring her home.

Her impact on Oakland is evident in the way the community has responded. Journalists who met sources at her cafe. Choir students she mentored. Staff members she treated as family. Customers who felt safe and welcomed in her space. All are waiting and hoping for her safe return.

Days have passed since she left for that walk on March 25. The mystery of her disappearance remains unsolved. But the love surrounding her, the determination to find her, and the community’s refusal to give up continues to grow.

The search for Amy Hillyard continues. Oakland waits and hopes for her safe return.

If you have any information about Amy Hillyard, please contact Oakland Police at 510 238 3641 or 911 immediately. Every piece of information could be crucial. Every moment matters.

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