Local Bear Bar Denver Sweet to Close its Doors this Weekend

We’re sad to report that yet another LGBTQ+ bar in the Denver area—not to mention one of the most beloved spots for the Denver bear community—Denver Sweet at 776 Lincoln Street in Denver is closing its doors after this weekend after six years as a business. Their final day will be this coming Sunday, July 27, and the bar is inviting people to come out and celebrate with them one last time.

“Like many small businesses, we have faced serious challenges over the past few years,” the bar wrote in their press release, which was also posted on social media. “Business has not returned to pre-pandemic levels, and over the last two years, we’ve seen a significant decline in traffic. Changing customer habits, tough economic conditions, and increased operational costs have made it increasingly difficult to sustain the business.

“One of the most significant impacts to our bottom line has been the rising cost of labor,” they continue, “particularly from living wage laws in both Colorado and Denver. We’ve done everything we could to push forward—including personally funding operations—but the current climate simply isn’t viable for us anymore.”

Denver Sweet has been a dear friend to OFM since they opened, not just as an advertiser, but they have also hosted us for their Sunday beer bust from time to time. The atmosphere there has always been welcoming and inviting when some gay bars can become cliquey and intimidating to newcomers. And, with such a limited number of queer bars in the Denver area, it’s sad to see that number decrease even further. We at OFM would like to thank Denver Sweet for being such a vital and important part of the Denver LGBTQ+ community for the past six years. We’ll be sad to see you go.

Photo courtesy of social media