Crush Bar

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Crush Bar
Crush Bar logo.png
Logo
Crush Bar, Portland, Oregon (2021) - 2.jpg
The bar's interior, 2021
Crush Bar is located in Portland, Oregon
Crush Bar
Crush Bar
Location within Portland, Oregon
Address1400 SE Morrison Street
LocationPortland, Oregon, United States
Coordinates45°31′02″N 122°39′05″W / 45.51711°N 122.65144°W / 45.51711; -122.65144Coordinates: 45°31′02″N 122°39′05″W / 45.51711°N 122.65144°W / 45.51711; -122.65144
OwnerWoody Clarke
Type
  • Gay bar
  • restaurant
Website
crushbar.com

Crush Bar (sometimes simply Crush) is a gay bar and restaurant in southeast Portland, Oregon's Buckman neighborhood.

Description[]

The bar's interior in 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic

Willamette Week's Lizzy Acker described Crush as "a welcoming neighborhood gay bar for everyone". Furthermore, she wrote, "if you can't find something you like, either sidled up to the bar chatting up the bartenders, in the back watching a burlesque show, playing video poker off to the side, or outside on the sidewalk smoking cigarettes and making new friends, well, that's on you... Crush is not populated by cool girls and boys, staring at their phones trying to impress everyone with their boredom. If you want that, your options are endless. But if you're looking for a place to dance till you're naked or sing along with strangers, this is your spot."[1] The newspaper's Aaron Spencer described the bar's atmosphere as "loungey, with bottle art and mood lighting, but unpretentious.[2]

The bar is owned by Woody Clarke.[2] Crush's logo features images of two men holding hands, a woman and a man holding hands, and two women holding hands.[1][2] The bar has unisex public toilets and hosts a monthly event called Bi Bar, as of 2014.[2]

In his 2019 "overview of Portland's LGBTQ+ nightlife for the newcomer", Andrew Jankowski of the Portland Mercury wrote: "Crush is among Portland’s coziest, most queer-friendly bars, and is presently Southeast Portland’s only LGBTQ+ bar. Crush offers a foodie-friendly menu, crafted cocktails, sidewalk patio, burlesque-drag revues, stand-up comedy shows, nonbinary concerts, and pants-free dance parties."[3]

History[]

Crush Bar representation at Portland Pride, 2014

On March 17, 2020 Crush Bar was forced to close due to the Oregon Governor's mandate for the COVID-19 pandemic. The current owner John Clarke terminated all 27 employees and refused to pay out any form of compensation. The bar's union, Crush Bar Workers Collective (CBWC), staged a sit-in to demand compensation for "accrued sick time pay off, half-time pay for our scheduled hours one week out, and guarantee rehires when the bar reopens". The owner denied these requests and contacted law enforcement to have the union members removed. Two days later the owner backtracked their claim and agreed to compensate the employees for their sick leave.[4]

Reception[]

Crush has been recognized multiple times by Willamette Week's annual readers' poll. The bar was named "Best LGBT Bar" in 2015,[5] and "Best LGBT Bar" and runner-up in the "Best Drag Show" category in 2016.[6] Crush was named the city's best bar in 2017,[7] and "Best LGBTQ Bar" and runner-up in the "Best Happy Hour" category in 2018.[8] Crush Bar won in the "Best LGBTQ Bar" category of Willamette Week's "Best of Portland Readers' Poll 2020".[9]

References[]

  1. ^ a b Acker, Lizzy (May 10, 2016). "Crush Bar". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on January 6, 2019. Retrieved January 5, 2019.
  2. ^ a b c d Spencer, Aaron (April 8, 2014). "Bar Guide 2014: Crush Bar". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on January 6, 2019. Retrieved January 5, 2019.
  3. ^ Jankowski, Andrew (June 6, 2019). "An Overview of Portland's LGBTQ+ Nightlife for the Newcomer". Portland Mercury. Archived from the original on June 9, 2019. Retrieved June 8, 2019.
  4. ^ Frane, Alex (2020-03-17). "Crush Bar Employees Staged Sit-In After Mass Layoffs [Updated]". Eater Portland. Retrieved 2020-12-14.
  5. ^ "Best of Portland Readers' Poll". Willamette Week. July 14, 2015. Archived from the original on January 6, 2019. Retrieved January 5, 2019.
  6. ^ "Best of Portland Reader's Poll 2016: The Complete List of Winners". Willamette Week. July 18, 2016. Archived from the original on January 6, 2019. Retrieved January 5, 2019.
  7. ^ "Here are the Winners of the Best of Portland Readers' Poll 2017". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on January 6, 2019. Retrieved January 5, 2019.
  8. ^ "Here are the Winners of the Best of Portland Readers' Poll 2018". Willamette Week. July 10, 2018. Archived from the original on January 6, 2019. Retrieved January 5, 2019.
  9. ^ "Bars + Nightlife: Congratulations to the winners + finalists of Best of Portland Readers' Poll 2020". Willamette Week. July 21, 2020. Retrieved September 4, 2020.

External links[]

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