In hospitality, you stimulate so many senses—taste, smell, presentation, interior design—but hearing often gets neglected. When the sound is right, it elevates everything else. Guests relax and are more open to the whole experience.”
Jeff EhrenbergProvidence SAV Founder and CEO
The Eighth Rule is a speakeasy and social dining experience hidden inside The Westin St. Francis hotel in San Francisco, CA. Created by the Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry in partnership with The MINA Group, the intimate venue was built for elevated cocktails, conversation, and lingering. A Meyer Sound system completes the experience, matching the room’s meticulous attention to detail and atmosphere.
Operating as a modern speakeasy, tucked behind an unmarked door off Union Square, the 40-seat space takes its name from bourbon’s seven official production rules, inviting guests to “create their own Eighth Rule” through the ritual of drinking and gathering. Warm wood finishes, a curved ceiling, and plush leather seating define the visual atmosphere. For ownership and design partners, the sound system needed to be just as considered: present enough to shape the room, discreet enough to let the experience lead.
Providence SAV (Sound and Vision) served as project integrator. The Eighth Rule called for a low-profile sound system that could support the bar’s role as an intimate bourbon lounge while offering enough headroom for high-energy hosted events. For Providence SAV founder and CEO Jeff Ehrenberg, whose background spans high-end recording studios and hospitality projects, that approach aligns with his broader mission to bring premium sound into restaurants and bars.
“In so many restaurants, the interiors are stunning and the food is incredible, but the sound is sometimes an afterthought,” Ehrenberg says. “They’ll spend tens of thousands on design and then have their low-voltage contractor hang a few speakers.
“I’ve been a fan of Meyer Sound for decades,” he adds. “When I first started doing live sound in the Bay Area in the nineties, stepping up to Meyer Sound from the typical P.A. speakers at that time made a huge impression on me. It showed me what the next level of sound could be.”
For The Eighth Rule, Providence Sound collaborated with Meyer Sound’s Daniel Rivera and Tom Dalske, who modeled the space in the MAPP 3D system design and prediction tool. The goal was to achieve even coverage and musical clarity throughout the room, with special attention to the transition between seating levels.
The system comprises 14 UP‑4slim ultracompact installation loudspeakers and three USW‑112P compact subwoofers, powered by two MPS‑488X power supplies and processed by the Galileo GALAXY 408 Network Platform. “For The Eighth Rule, the UP-4slim and 112 made sense,” Ehrenberg explains. “The space is under fifty seats, so having something compact that could handle the sound we needed without drawing attention was ideal.”
The bar’s architecture created both a challenge and an opportunity for sound system design. Guests enter into a lower seating area, with three steps leading up to an upper level; both zones needed to feel sonically unified while still allowing for control. As a speakeasy, the space depends on clear conversation at close range, making zone coherence an acoustic priority.
“Tom tuned it so the transition between the two feels seamless, which keeps the room cohesive as you move through it,” says Ehrenberg. Most nights it’s about setting a vibe for cocktails and conversation, but when you turn it up it’s club level without hurting your ears.” The room’s interior finishes also contribute to acoustic management by naturally diffusing reflections and minimizing low-frequency buildup.
From the venue side, the sound system is seen as an integral part of the concept rather than an add-on. “The Eighth Rule was designed as an intimate space for people to savor exceptional bourbon, food, and conversation. Details matter here, and the sound system is part of that experience,” says Cori Tahara, VP of Development for The MINA Group. “The Meyer Sound installation helps the room feel relaxed and inviting, even as the energy builds throughout the night.”
For Ehrenberg, projects like The Eighth Rule underscore a broader shift in how hospitality operators think about audio. “In hospitality, you stimulate so many senses—taste, smell, presentation, interior design—but hearing often gets neglected,” he says. “When the sound is right, it elevates everything else. Guests relax and are more open to the whole experience.”