When Mount Davis went up, an Oakland cookie war began to crumble

Sunshine Biscuits had the best ad space in town until Al Davis and the Raiders returned to Oakland.

Before the Raiders returned to Oakland and Al Davis erected the pointless third deck that took his name, afternoon A’s games featured a serene view of the Oakland hills. Past the right-field scoreboard, beyond the BART tracks, a red “Sunshine Biscuits” sign prominently promoted one half of a cookie war that wafted through the East Oakland corridor for much of the last century.

Before Oreos, Sunshine Biscuits created the Hydrox chocolate sandwich cream cookie. And of course, Cheez-Itz. But Sunshine wasn’t alone. Next door on 81st Avenue stood Mother’s Cookies, which had infiltrated the Coliseum and other West Coast stadiums with its unique trading cards giveaways.

When the Raiders returned to Oakland in 1995, Mount Davis went up and fans said farewell to the Sunshine Biscuits sign. Soon after, the East Oakland cookie dynasty crumbled. The Sunshine factory closed that year and Mother’s Cookies in 2008.

The Raiders have since left as well, though Mount Davis still stands. Beyond the unused concrete façade, the Sunshine Biscuits sign still stands – sitting atop condos.