Fanny Chu

Fanny Chu by Rebecca Smeyne

For 17 years, Fanny Chu worked in the medical field, a path that she found stifled her personal life. Now, as a bartender, going to work makes her feel “like I’m ‘going out’ while making money,” she says. Chu, former Head Bartender of Donna Cocktail Club in Brooklyn and host of Ketel One’s “Marvelous Mondays,” a feature of Portland Cocktail Week, uses her platform as a bartender and as a queer Asian to make lasting impacts on the hospitality industry. “I get to have a voice in the bartending community and make an impact for people like us,” she tells GO. “I strongly believe with the given political climate we are facing, it’s really important to create a safe space for everyone.” Her work has been acknowledged by The New York Times, Wine Enthusiast, Bar Business, Departures, and Edge Media Network. She was also PUNCH Drink’s Bartender in Residence for the month of July 2019. Her most recent venture, Makers of Marvelous, shines a spotlight on members of the hospitality industry who have suffered during COVID-19. Ultimately, she chose her current field not just because it was fun, but because it allowed her to make a tangible difference. “I also dreamt of creating an inclusive and safe space for my fellow LGBTQIA folx,” she says. “When I came out, there weren’t many places that were like that for me. I always felt like I couldn’t be myself without feeling threatened.” Now, thanks to people like Chu, the rest of us might feel more safe going out, too. —NT

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