Oakland Owner of Popular SF, Oakland Coffee Shops Is Missing — A Family and City Await Answers
On a bright afternoon near Lake Merritt, the routine rhythm of neighborhood life broke when amy hillyard did not return home. She was last seen around 2: 00 p. m. ET in the 500 block of Radnor Road wearing a tan-colored top and tan pants. The absence of a familiar face has immediately rippled through the neighborhoods where she worked and volunteered.
What happened to Amy Hillyard?
The Oakland Police Department is requesting assistance from the community and media partners in locating Missing Person Amy Hillyard who is at risk due to medical conditions. She was last seen around 2: 00 p. m. ET on March 25, 2026, in the 500 block of Radnor Road. Hillyard is described as a 52-year-old White female, 5’4″ tall, weighing 120 pounds, with blonde hair and hazel eyes. She was last seen wearing a tan-colored top and tan pants.
Her family roles and public presence are part of why her disappearance has drawn urgent attention: Hillyard and her husband own Farley’s East coffee shop in Oakland and Farley’s coffee shop in San Francisco, she is president of the board of the Piedmont East Bay Children’s Choir, and she is a mother of two. Police have classified her as at risk because of medical conditions and have asked anyone with information to contact the Missing Persons Unit at 510-238-3641.
How is Oakland responding?
Community members, customers and loved ones have reacted with alarm and concern. Loved ones said they are in shock regarding the disappearance, and the local coffee shop issued a written message: “Our hearts go out to Amy and her family and friends during this difficult time. ” The shop added, “She has been a passionate and active member of the Oakland community for 20+ years. We hope that she returns safely and we appreciate any information. “
Those two roles — small-business owner and youth-choir leader — make Hillyard a visible presence in multiple circles. The police outreach is aimed at turning that visibility into leads: people who saw her that afternoon, who know of medical appointments, or who recognize the clothing described could be crucial to locating her quickly.
What can people do to help?
Anyone with information about Hillyard’s whereabouts is urged to call the Oakland Police Department’s Missing Persons Unit at 510-238-3641. The department has asked the public for assistance and for vigilance in neighborhoods, transit corridors and social circles where she is known. Community members are asked to check the places they frequent and to reach out if they recall seeing someone matching the description on the afternoon in question.
Beyond immediate tips, the most practical forms of help are simple: sharing the details within social networks, checking with friends and family, and calling the Missing Persons Unit with any piece of relevant information. Police outreach and the coffee shop’s public message together aim to keep attention focused while investigators follow leads.
Back where the day began, near Lake Merritt, neighbors watch with an odd mix of hope and urgency. The tan outfit and the routine errands of a co-owner and choir leader now carry the weight of a community plea. As oakland waits for word, family members, customers and the Missing Persons Unit continue the search, asking anyone who might know something to come forward and help bring Amy Hillyard home.
