Denverites, a new queer-owned bar is in town!
The aptly-named bar, Pearl Divers, celebrated its grand opening earlier this month. Co-owners Dom Garcia and Ashlee Cassity were overwhelmed by the number of excited patrons streaming through the door on December 1.
“I wouldn’t want it any other way,” Garcia told Out Front Magazine. “Our community is the best community; we all have each other’s backs, (and) we all just stand strong together. It’s not a safe space just for our clients and for my staff, but also for myself … I want it to be a queer takeover, and I plan to be at the forefront of that any way that I can.”
The bar, which could be referred to as a sapphic speakeasy with a slight tiki twist, is at a familiar location for those who frequent the Capitol Hill neighborhood.
Pearl Divers is sharing the space with a longstanding Denver music venue, Your Mom’s House, at 608 East 13th Avenue. After celebrating their eighth anniversary this November, Your Mom’s House decided it was time to expand, opening the door for Garcia and Cassity to set up a queer space in a portion of the venue, according to Westworld.
Garcia, who already co-owned a hair and nail salon with her wife, was inspired to launch Pearl Divers after Blush & Blu, Denver’s last lesbian bar, closed its doors in October.
Garcia told Westworld she wanted to fill the gap left by Blush & Blu’s closure with a more inclusive spot. She found Cassity, who has experience working as a food and beverage manager, in an LGBTQ Denver Facebook group. The two hatched the idea, which turned out to be exactly what Your Mom’s House was looking for.
“I also wanted to create a safe space where Black people, brown people, queer people, whether you’re lesbian, gay, trans, whatever, can come and feel welcome,” said Cassity. “Straight people and allies, too. And that’s one of the reasons I was so willing to partner with Dom. We have that same vision.”
“We want Pearl Divers to be a neighborhood spot for everyone, but I also know that people are going to travel to come to this,” Garcia added. “You get to go somewhere where you’re around like-minded people, and you feel safe and you feel good.”
