Uptown Queer Bar There/There to Open on 25th Street in Oakland

Former Friends and Family chef Alli Li launches crowdfunding campaign to open new LGBTQ+-focused bar with affordable drinks and community events.

Published on Mar. 5, 2026

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

After the closure of the acclaimed Friends and Family bar in Oakland's Uptown neighborhood, former chef Alli Li is opening a new LGBTQ+-focused bar called There/There at the same 25th Street location. Li has launched a crowdfunding campaign to help cover rent and buildout costs, with plans to offer affordable cocktails, a strong nonalcoholic program, and a calendar of community-focused events and programming.

Why it matters

The closure of Friends and Family, which was recognized nationally for its bar program, underscored the challenges facing even acclaimed neighborhood bars in the Bay Area due to rising rents, labor costs, and shifting drinking habits. Li's new venture aims to create a sustainable, community-driven LGBTQ+ space in Uptown Oakland, filling a void left by the loss of Friends and Family.

The details

There/There is expected to open in May 2026 at 468 25th St. in Oakland. Li plans to offer affordable cocktails, with the cheapest drinks capped at $12 and nothing exceeding $17. The food menu will focus on casual, hand-held bar snacks. The large back patio will host a rotating schedule of local pop-ups. The bar will be open Tuesday through Saturday and feature a calendar of community-focused programming, including artist talks, chess club nights, and weekend dance parties.

  • There/There is expected to open in May 2026.
  • Friends and Family closed at the end of 2025.

The players

Alli Li

The former chef of Friends and Family who is opening the new bar There/There.

Friends and Family

The acclaimed bar in Oakland's Uptown neighborhood that closed at the end of 2025.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“This is the third space that it always wanted to be.”

— Alli Li (San Francisco Chronicle)

What’s next

Li is currently running a crowdfunding campaign with a $50,000 goal to help cover rent and buildout costs for There/There. The bar is slated to open in May 2026.

The takeaway

The opening of There/There represents an effort to create a sustainable, community-focused LGBTQ+ space in Oakland's Uptown neighborhood after the loss of the acclaimed Friends and Family bar. By offering affordable drinks, a robust nonalcoholic program, and a calendar of community events, Li aims to avoid the fate that befell the previous business and keep the space thriving.