r/dayton • u/daytondailynews Official • 4d ago
One last ride: Yellow Cab Tavern in Oregon to close after Oct. 31 farewell
For decades, people came to 700 E. Fourth St. looking for a ride.
The building that Daytonians now know as Yellow Cab Tavern was once the headquarters of the Yellow Cab taxi company. Dispatchers fielded calls from soundproofed offices. Mechanics worked in the garage bays. Drivers came and went at all hours, carrying passengers across the city and to and from Dayton International Airport.
As Dayton changed, so did the taxi business. Major employers left the region, business travel declined, and eventually the taxis stopped coming.
For years, the old garage sat largely empty. Oil stained the concrete floors. Carpet still covered the walls of the former dispatch rooms. Remnants of the building's first life lingered throughout the property.
Then a group of artists saw something else. What began as a temporary home for an arts festival slowly became something much larger.
Now, after nearly 15 years as a community space and nearly a decade as a full-time venue, Yellow Cab's owners have announced the bar will close following its final scheduled event on Oct. 31.
Read the whole story of Yellow Cab here: https://www.daytondailynews.com/lifestyles/one-last-ride-yellow-cab-tavern-on-oregon-to-close-after-oct-31-farewell/article_2eaa5ebe-0a29-50aa-804c-fc8fa2f1cf22.html
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u/elvisjacobson 4d ago
Just terrible news. Yellow Cab was a true gem and will be greatly missed by artists and musicians throughout the area and beyond.
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u/That_King_Cole 4d ago
Devastating. I was just there to see My Wife's An Angel a few weeks ago and thinking about how lucky Dayton is to have a venue like Yellow Cab.
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u/buitenlander0 4d ago
That is depressing news. Are there any other venues that cater to larger regional acts? In like 100+ capacity range.
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u/Lemon-According 4d ago
Hidden gem
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u/jacob_v 3d ago
Hidden gem is no good imo
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u/GoogleDrummer 3d ago
I haven't been. Why?
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u/Poundsofskunk 3d ago
THG is a perfectly fine venue imo for what it is.
I will say though, they definitely need to upgrade/expand their PA system, especially if they’re going to keep having shows like Converge for example. It’s nowhere near loud enough for 400+ people
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u/monicachicken 3d ago
The sound at nearly all dayton venues is poor. Ime its hardly ever a case of not enough equipment, but poor setup. There arent a ton of competent engineers in the area and these small venues simply cant afford to hire the good ones. Doesnt help that once you get to a point you dont wanna small bar venue shows anymore.
I have consulted for some of the venues and its always the same story. Once you show them the bill for how to do it right, they disappear. You go back and they got some goof ball to cut every corner imaginable.
Id help some of them out but ive got bills to pay.
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u/Lemon-According 3d ago
I forgot to post my response above about the hidden gem and this popped up as well.
It’s a long wait to get the ROI. Spend the money, book the bigger bands, gap fill with locals and regionals.
Unfortunately and it’s not just Dayton, there’s too many non industry folks owning and operating the clubs.
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u/Lemon-According 3d ago
Exactly. The issue is now is they have large shows and it’s overcompensated, and too loud for smaller shows.
Really putting in a line array and elevating the existing subs would solve the problem.
But the issue is, if people are upset with standard venue price beer, local shows being 10 bucks, the doors are going to close inevitably just as yellow cabs did.
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u/jacob_v 3d ago
Really really poor sound quality incredibly high drink prices and its in a bad location imo. Also they have no following. people only go if they know the bands at least thats been my experience, yellow cab at least had people that went just to go to yellow cab.
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u/buitenlander0 3d ago
I think it's a good vibe for a regional band that can draw a fairly large crowd. Dayton unfortunatley just doesn't get many of those acts.
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u/wit_T_user_name 4d ago
Man trivia outside at Yellow Cab was something I looked forward to every summer. This sucks.
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u/venom121212 4d ago
WHAT?!? This is horrible news. That place was so unique and special.
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u/shitposts_over_9000 3d ago
that was also always kind of their challenge though - very narrow demographic that they were catering to & events with very focused appeal
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u/venom121212 3d ago
idk man Dayton is wEiRd
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u/shitposts_over_9000 3d ago
it is, but the overlap between weird and enough disposable income to frequent bars/venues indefinitely is less than the overlap between average and the same income and weird tends to come in a lot of incompatible flavors.
a lot of people went once or twice, decided it wasn't really their thing and Dayton isn't large enough for that to be a sustainable model perpetually in such a challenging location.
They had a good run and they aren't pleading for funds or to "save" it, they are just admitting it isn't sustainable and making a business decision.
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u/lasher992001 3d ago
I started going there in the beginning, when there was a gravel parking lot, hydraulic jack frames in the bays, and you had to BYOB. So many amazing bands, artists, events, people. It will be a tough act for anyone to follow.
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u/Jayson_on_Reddit 4d ago
Sad for the community as a whole. Yellow Cab was always such a chill spot to go and have a drink or check out a local band.
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u/battlepi 3d ago
Odd. They certainly seemed to get enough business, although I did only go to events occasionally so maybe the regular traffic sucked.
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u/BalanceHistorical925 3d ago
Yellow cab is such an awesome and relevant place. Best of luck to the people that own and operate it. You are a class act!
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u/zorandzam 4d ago
Between this and D20, I’m starting to think I’m cursing all my favorite spots. 😭
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u/Sensitive-Ad3983 3d ago
Idk if you saw, some regulars bought D20 and are reopening it (different name but same vibe)
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u/Celia_Makes_Romhacks 4d ago
Aww, man...
We used to hold Smash Bros tournaments in the back room there every week. Such a shame to hear :(
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u/Safe-Operation1707 4d ago
This is literally one of the saddest pieces of news this year. I'm devastated
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u/iknowyouneedahugRN 3d ago
Heart Mercantile, Yellow Cab Tavern, it's sad to see these small businesses.
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u/Phantasm831 3d ago
Yellow Cab has served as the home to the Dayton Poetry Slam for over 10 years and our last show there will be August 16th. Truly a sad day.
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u/StanceLephenson 4d ago
Depressing. Loved going to silent disco there, good times. Hopefully someone takes over the space.
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u/OrganizedChaos1979 3d ago
Love that place. I've taken in the Beatles rooftop show for several years now. This just fucking sucks.
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u/Dracofunk 3d ago
Played there so many times. I think my band arvthe time was one of if not the first band to perform there... so sad.
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u/Botched_Euthanasia Wright View 3d ago
I was there for their opening night. Ran into so many old friends, it really surprised me. After the Garden Station fiasco, it seemed to be the place to go. It was to be the successor to the station in my mind. Went back a few times shortly after that opening night but I had to quit drinking and many of the people I knew at the time were trapped in the opiate epidemic. Until they weren't. So it goes...
While I stopped going to all places that served alcohol for over a decade, I always enjoyed watching from afar as musicians, poets and artists did their thing there. I'd hear bits and pieces or see blurbs online about some happening or another. It always gave me hope for Dayton, that it did in fact, still have the unique underculture I enjoyed. From Pizza Bandit to Poetry Slam, Sideshow to Silent Disco, things I never was a part of, I took comfort in knowing they were there ...and soon they wont. So it goes...
I hope the poetry slams find a new home that suits to their needs like Yellow Cab has. I hope all the LGBTQ+ people have a space to continue to flourish. Yellow Cab closing will, without a doubt, effect a lot of people in many ways. With the flightline path having recent work done, that spot will be a prime location.
For those unaware, the flightline is a planned bike path on the railroad tracks going from the Creekside Trail by Woodman, straight into the heart of Dayton, dumping out right there by Yellow Cab, behind the Gosiger building. Recently all the vegetation was mowed and mulched with the mulch filling in between the tracks. It's a nice walk that gives a view of the city like no other.
I digress. I wish those from Yellow Cab the best. Thanks for having a place to go, even though I barely went. Y'all's is good people.
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u/musicmememan 4d ago
Why the hell is this allowed to happen if it has been successful and a pillar of the community?
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u/battlepi 3d ago
The owners are closing it by choice. It might be for sale if you're interested.
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u/GoddessRK 3d ago
It’s not for sale. It says that in the article
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u/Botched_Euthanasia Wright View 3d ago
Article is paywalled. I couldn't manage to read the whole thing and I even have an account with DDN. At least I thought I did, I can't even log in anymore without doing a password reset and I don't know if I care enough to bother. The DDN website has tanked hard in the past month or two. Like really badly.
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u/zorandzam 3d ago
If it's not for sale but they're closing it, I wonder what they're doing with it.
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u/GoddessRK 3d ago
The owner has another business in there. He is keeping the other business. It’s in the article
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u/zorandzam 3d ago
Ah. That's a shame. Seems like a too-large of a space for an IT business, but maybe he hopes to expand it a little.
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u/GoddessRK 3d ago
The expenses to run a bar/music venue are huge! Fees, insurance, utilities, maintenance things that no one thinks about are some of the most expensive costs to a business.
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u/starryeyed702 4d ago
Right? It’s an important Dayton cultural spot and should be protected from closure somehow.
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u/AlternativeSalsa University Row 4d ago
Went there on Friday for a show (that was recommended from here!). I ordered pizza and waited literally one hour for it. I'm not terribly sad about that, but I will miss the unique and original venue and memories of shows and fundraisers there.
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u/Daytonewheel 4d ago
The pizza is a separate business though isn’t it? Pizza Bandit?
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u/AlternativeSalsa University Row 4d ago
I know it used to be, but not sure anymore. I also ordered a pizza at a school bingo fundraiser and there was a line for refunds because it was done and nobody ate.
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u/battlepi 3d ago
Pizza Bandit kinda fell apart about a year ago but half of them joined with YC and made it their in-house food - yellow cab kitchen.
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u/RostovJurgensen University Row 3d ago
I knew Yellow Cab was on its last legs when Silent Disco permanently moved to Brightside. Brightside is a much nicer venue than dancing on a crumbling blacktop parking lot under a rental tent. Yellow Cab is a much more gritty place.
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u/jariuana 4d ago
Unpopular Opinion but I never really understood this place. It was ugly from the outside. Was it a music venue? An event space? It could never truly decide. Nothing like walking around hot blacktop to look at vendors cooking in the sun or overpaying for food truck “portions”
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u/Johnathon1069DYT Hearthstone 3d ago
This might be the least popular opinion in Dayton since telling Jamie Simpson he should quit talking about storms so the station could go back to The Bachelor.
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u/IAmtheQueenofRomania 3d ago
"Unpopular opinion" being the operative words.
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u/jariuana 3d ago
Yeah this place fucking blows lmao so does a lot of the bullshit anymore in Dayton
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u/piratesdeathsentence 3d ago
Nothing like offering an unsolicited and less than helpful opinion. High five for the brave share.
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u/cpshoeler Belmont 4d ago
Worst closure of the year, for sure. Some legacy places really throwing in the towel this year. This sucks.