Bench & Bar — Oakland Vintage 1978–2020 Gay Bar Tee

Founded around 1978, Bench & Bar was one of Oakland's most beloved gay institutions, a legendary nightclub that helped shape the city's LGBTQ nightlife for more than 40 years.

And the name? It wasn't just some clever reference to drinking.

The original owners were a judge and an attorney.

The original Bench & Bar was located at 120 11th Street, near Lake Merritt, during a period when Oakland was developing a lively gay bar scene of its own.

While San Francisco's Castro District was attracting international attention, Oakland offered a somewhat less touristy alternative, with neighborhood bars, dance clubs, and gathering places catering to the East Bay's increasingly diverse gay community.

And Bench & Bar quickly became one of its favorites.

By 1980, the club was advertising dance nights, free buffets, and something wonderfully called "69 Time," when selected drinks were available for just 69 cents.

The bar also became an important gathering place for Oakland's LGBTQ community, hosting fundraisers, live performances, and special events. In 1981, entertainer David Kelsey and his group Pure Trash performed at a benefit at Bench & Bar, one of the many colorful events that helped make the establishment a neighborhood institution.

Over the following decades, Bench & Bar evolved into one of the East Bay's most popular gay nightclubs, eventually becoming particularly well known for its Black and Latino LGBTQ clientele.

Under longtime owner Charles Bisbee, who purchased the club in 2000 after working his way up from doorman, Bench & Bar continued expanding its audience and entertainment.

The club eventually relocated to downtown Oakland, including a location at 510 17th Street, and later became known as Club BnB.

Drag shows, go-go dancers, pageants, karaoke, Latin dance nights, and the wonderfully named La Bota Loca parties helped make the club one of Oakland's most recognizable gay nightlife destinations.

Unfortunately, the good times couldn't last forever.

In December 2019, owners announced that Club BnB and its sister establishment, Club 21, would be forced to close after their building was sold to developers planning to convert the property into office space.

Their final night was January 12, 2020, ending more than four decades of queer nightlife history.