Aspiring NYC bar owner seeks to create new lesbian tavern in Astoria one pop-up at a time
Leaving their small Indiana hometown was Kristin “Dave” Dausch’s first step toward finding their identity and community.
The latter entailed the Queens debut of their pop-up lesbian bar, with Dausch’s eye on opening the borough’s only lesbian-owned tavern and creating a place for the community to gather starting with an event this past Saturday in Astoria.
“There are a lot of us and we don’t have enough places to convene,” adds Dausch, who views their hoped-for business as the solution.
“We need spaces to be vulnerable and Dave’s Lesbian Bar is going to elevate that in a different direction because we want mutual aid by day. We want a community fridge, a free store with a rack of clothes for people to take if they need, we want a pantry drop-off.
“The coolest thing that can happen is that shows start happening at Dave’s and people start paying the cover charge in nonperishable goods.”
Dausch moved to the city in 2007 to attend the American Musical and Dramatic Academy, and came out six years ago before launching their mission of inclusion.
“It was very important to me because I felt like I was robbed of the freedom to be queer because of where I’m from,” said Dausch, who lives in Astoria. “Queens is the most diverse place in the world. I love the people and I love the community.”
According to Dausch, Astoria is home to a pair of gay bars where they never felt the lesbian community was fully represented. There are only two lesbian-owned bars in New York City right now, Dausch noted. A third bar, in Brooklyn, closed during the pandemic, only boosting the resolve to open a new place.
“I want it to be like gay Nashville,” added Dausch. “There’s constantly music, we are open and music is happening. Community, music, alcohol. People will come to this. But when they get there I want to have a big binder behind the bar that I let everyone look at that’s like, ‘Oh, I need to buy soap’ — well, here’s a queer person that makes soap.
“I want it to be a community hub for people to get more involved in the queer community while helping queer musicians and establishments.”
The planned pop-ups are intended to create some buzz for the new bar, and a fundraiser has already garnered more than $10,000 in donations.
Dausch is hoping Dave’s Lesbian Bar can have a monthly pop-up until they can get their space, with the target date for a permanent location about 18 months away.
“I am not giving up on it,” they vowed. “I don’t care if it takes 10 years, I am making this my life’s work. I believe in this more than I’ve believed in anything else.”
The pop-up of Dave’s Lesbian Bar on Saturday was held next door to Heart of Gold, an Astoria bar that like so many businesses has struggled during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Nonetheless, Heart of Gold owner James Rutuelo said he was glad to help a potential competitor.
“The community helped us out so much over the last year. The gay community especially gave more than anyone else, more than anyone could ask for, so we’re giving back,” Rutuelo said.
Beth Mariah Glick, an Astoria resident and stand up comic, was impressed with the Saturday night pop-up event.
“This is a bar that’s doing a fundraiser for another bar to open. That’s amazing. That’s Astoria,” Glick said.
With Elizabeth Keogh
