One of the biggest drags on Oakland’s art and café scene is the price of a cabaret license. Small galleries and restaurants can’t afford the $2,200 the city charges for a cabaret license. They then find themselves fined by the Oakland Police Department when they host events featuring music. A City Councilwoman could resolve this problem and make after-hours Oakland more fun and safer. 

City Councilwoman Nancy Nadel is proposing that establishments with occupancies of no more than 50 people be allowed to obtain a small cabaret permit for $600. According to a report Nadel submitted to the City Council, none of the 53 places operating now with a cabaret permit would be eligible for the new license.

The cafes and galleries seeking a small cabaret license have to have track records of being well-run and good neighbors. This is from Nadel’s report: “Establishments that would otherwise qualify for a small cabaret exemption but have a history of verified complaints, and would have a negative impact on neighborhood quality of life or public safety, including, but not limited to, continuing violations of state and local laws regarding public nuisance, will not be eligible for an exemption.”

Nadel is also proposing a late night experiment with longer hours for nightclubs and bars. The mandatory 2 a.m. closing time for Oakland’s drinking and entertainment establishments occasionally leads to throngs of rowdy patrons hitting the streets at once. This poses a nuisance and sometimes serious safety risks for other patrons, downtown residents and the police department. Nadel suggests that a maximum of 10 bars and nightclubs be allowed apply for extended hours permits as part of a two-year pilot program based on similar ordinances in San Jose and San Francisco. State law prohibits selling booze between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m. but patrons would have time to finish their drinks and sober up.

The only part of Nadel’s proposed changes to the city’s cabaret laws that is not likely to be welcomed by club owners and publicans is an increase of the cabaret license renewal fee from $300 to $750. The fee had not changed since 1972.