The Middle 8 in Pleasanton considers itself a "groovy lounge" and features retro style furniture situated around a horseshoe shaped bar. (Photo courtesy of Imaginem Productions)
The Middle 8, a retro bar for live music and good times, is closing in Pleasanton.
The downtown business announced the impending departure over the weekend on Instagram, setting the last day for Sunday, Jan. 11. “We’ve had an amazing time but we’re going to close (for now)!” posted a bar representative. “Our revenue just hasn’t kept pace with the rising costs and our very high rent increases (we would have had to do 300 percent more revenue to justify our rent).”
The bar hopes to “quickly move to a new location,” according to the post, though no other details were shared.
The Middle 8 opened about five years ago with a horseshoe-shaped bar, throw-back furniture and groovy vibes. It served cocktails seemingly warped in from the 1970s, like a Disco Lemonade and a Porn Star Martini with passion fruit and rose bubbles.
The bar featured a secret speakeasy in the rear, called “The Back Beat.” There was also a $100,000-speaker sound system, but the vibe wasn’t dance-club. It was more about neighborhood mingling.
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“It’s like a bunch of little living rooms,” managing partner Rick Dobbs told The Mercury News in 2025. “We have 60 seats in a 3,500-square-foot space, so it’s a great place to come and hang out with your friends.”
Well, it was – until those reopening plans bear out.
Dobbs fleshed out the reasons for closing further in a recent interview with the Pleasanton Weekly. The news site wrote: “He attributed Pleasanton’s changing demographic, higher insurance rates, outside costs and a trend of less people drinking or socializing as a ‘perfect storm’ of reasons for why he’s shutting down his business.”
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The bar’s Instagram note has drawn a sad reception.
“BRO April Fools is on April 1st!!!!! Please say sike,” wrote one person. Suggested another, “Open in Livermore… their downtown is WAY better!!!!!”
Details: The Middle 8’s last day will be Jan. 11 at 310 Main St. in Pleasanton; middle8bar.com
Originally published at John Metcalfe