 | At this time last year, Lisa Menichino was in bed sipping a constant cycle of bourbon and frozen push pops — often mixed for the sulkiest, sweetest drink she could imagine — while fretting over the future of her bar. Today, the phone at Cubbyhole on a picturesque West Village intersection, 281 West 12th Street, won’t stop ringing as regulars are eager to reserve a seat outdoors at the city’s only open lesbian space to reopen.
After Menichino’s month or so of brooding during 2020’s first shutdown in March, messages from guests reminded her of Cubbyhole’s unique status: It’s one of Manhattan’s last two lesbian bars. A place where the queer community could meet partners, grieve, and gather safely. Like many lesbian bar owners struggling to sustain their businesses, she started a GoFundMe to help cover expenses at the shuttered space. Cubbyhole reopened last summer, and closed when the weather cooled down mid-December. Customer-designed T-shirts helped raise additional funds, and even as the taps were closed and the gate was locked, Menichino felt the community’s excitement for Cubbyhole’s imminent return. In fact, a couple got engaged in front of the closed bar on a frigid February day. Those moments keep Menichino going, despite all the restrictions, including patrons not being allowed to order at the bar, at a lesbian bar. The table-only rules didn’t squelch the enthusiasm of more than 300 people who visited for Cubbyhole’s first night in 2021.
“Lesbians need a place to go,” Menichino says, chugging coffee while ensuring all seats, reservations, and hand sanitizers were ready to go for Cubbyhole’s grand reopening after a months-long hibernation. On Thursday, April 8, regulars, newbies, and tourists eagerly snatched up reservations, selling out the bar on a sunny day ideal for outdoor drinking. The bar is back with minor tweaks and improvements: A new frozen machine offers daiquiris, margaritas, and frose. A wooden outdoor dining setup built by volunteer lesbian carpenters safely seats a dozen socially distant guests, and people can order hot dogs or packaged sandwiches with cocktails, as food orders are required with alcohol sales these days.
The Cubbyhole Reopens |
