Women take over Sonoma County bar, want to bring back Cotati Crawl – The Mercury News
Cotati pub 8 Ball had its grand opening on Saturday under new management: a female-led team ready to bring good times to the local pub.
In January, Julie LaMalfa Black, Jenafer Keys and Audrey De Vere Hunt announced that they had acquired the tavern, making it a woman-led and woman-owned business. Their official slogan for the soft opening is “Girls shoot.”
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Bartender Julie Black, left, worked at the nearly 90-year-old 8 Ball in Cotati for the past 8 years before buying the bar with two friends on Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026. (John Burgess/The Press Democrat)
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Bartender Julie Black, left, worked at the nearly 90-year-old 8 Ball in Cotati for the past 8 years before buying the bar with two friends on Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026. (John Burgess/The Press Democrat)
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The 89-year-old pub has long been popular with locals and has even gained interest due to a number of urban legends about its history, including that it got its name from an old eight-ball that was allegedly found on the roof of a building in the area. Former owner Howard Jacobsen, an architect by trade, and his wife ran the pub for decades and sold it in the early 1950s.
RELATED: Dive into the eclectic history of the Ball tavern in Cotati
The bar has since changed hands several times, including in 2018 to Brian Tatko and Greg Johnson. They made some minor changes, including new floors and some structural improvements. The old building still has doors of unusual dimensions and a low ceiling, which is overhung. The pair then sold to Alan Troxel, who managed the place for a year.
Black, originally from Ukiah, has been a familiar face at the bar for eight years and a local for decades, and has earned a following in the loyal community.
“Alan wanted to sell, and all three of us girls beat him up for it,” said Black. He said he wanted to own a bar because of the history, the location and the local people. I have been there with two owners and have built a good customer base.
The team has been around for more than a decade, and Black and De Vere Hunt have more than 30 years of bartending experience between them in San Francisco, Petaluma and Cotati.
De Vere Hunt said they are not planning to make major changes to the historic club.
“It takes a long time for a bar to look like this,” he said. “We’re not going to change much. We loved everything they (Tatko and Johnson) did to turn the pub into a community space. It just needed a little tweaking and some love.”
The group plans to continue offering karaoke on Mondays and open mic nights on Tuesdays. They also hope to host rotating food trucks on site Thursday through Saturday to socialize and support local chefs.
De Vere Hunt also wants to participate again in the Cotati Crawl, which has slowed down in recent years: “We’re ready to bring that back. We want to work with our community to make sure it’s safe. It’s been an amazing response from people.”
Related: Cotati Crawl: Cotati’s most dangerous, strangest ritual
De Vere Hunt said he was very excited to start a business with his partners.
“I’ve worked with them for over ten years, and I love them incredibly and trust them completely,” she said. “Julie is the face of the bar and is well-liked by everyone who walks in. Jen has a great ability to crunch numbers and make sense. She was the hero of last week as we’ve been planning.”
De Vere Hunt was also happy to be part of the all-female panel of business owners, saying “Women should go first, always.” He said the team got a lot of good advice about running a bar from locals, such as the owners of Willowbrook Ale House and Gale’s Central Club in Petaluma.
“They were very happy and very helpful,” said De Vere Hunt. “Older people have been very supportive of the local pub.”
Owner Debbie Blankenship said she supports the new owners’ commitment to bringing back the events that revitalized the pub. During their ownership, Tatko and Johnson made an effort to shake up the “drug bar and bike” persona 8 Ball once had with locals. They started hosting a weekly DJ during the Cotati Crawl on Thursdays and have hosted special events such as mock “graduations” for Sonoma State University students. These views have made the bar a sight to behold, alongside city favorites Spancky’s and Tradewinds.
The Blankenship family has owned the building since 1972, through many owners. He and his sister Gail Blankenship inherited the land as homeowners from their parents five years ago.
“My parents drove it until they passed,” Blankenship said. He said of the new owners, “I’m very happy, their personalities are just great and they really want to bring back the old times again.
“Since these ladies have taken over, the bar is packed again,” added Blankenship.
Resident Eric Kinsman, who has been to the bar that Black worships, said he has been a regular for years and is excited about the new ownership.
He said: “I have known Julie for 20 years. “She has many fans, when she is there, the community comes, everyone comes to hang out together.
“They brought back a better atmosphere in the community, it’s hard to have bars, man, but they’re doing it and killing it so far.
This bar’s grand opening starts at noon on Saturdays at 8 Charles Street and continues until the evening. Grill 707 will be on site serving a special menu, including burgers and sandwiches.
Black said he’s grateful to local vendors including Southern Glazer’s Wine and Spirits, Golden Brands and Lightning Spirits LLC: “They came out to help us, they brought us the product.”
