Friday, July 4, 2008

Denton’s only gay bar close to reopening

By Ben Briscoe of Dallas Voice

Owner Kelly Sanders sits outside the bar after it was burned in March of 2007. Sanders says that getting the final permits means “Everything is on the right track now for reopening.”

DENTON — More than a year after a fire set during a burglary destroyed Mabel Peabody’s Beauty Shop and Chainsaw Repair in March 2007, Denton’s only LGBT bar is just weeks away from reopening.

That’s a promise the former patrons have heard over and over again since shortly after the bar was destroyed — but this time it’s for real, according to owner Kelly Sanders.

“This is so funny because I’ve been saying four to six weeks for eight months, so I don’t know,” Sanders said. “But now I really can’t imagine it would be any longer than that.”

The difference now that makes Sanders so sure? Permits to finish renovating a new location came through June 27 after more than a year of delays.

“I hired a contractor that wasn’t competent. He started work without permits, which of course I didn’t know,” Sanders said. “I think that pissed the city off, so I think they came back with a whole bunch of things they probably wouldn’t have required on a remodel.”

Before Sanders could get the final permits, she had to add an outside air system, increase water pressure, move an exit door and change bathrooms to have three toilets instead of two, among other tasks.

“It was just a myriad of things they wanted us to change,” Sanders said. “I wanted to jump ship so badly, and one reason is that it has drained me finically. I mean, it has completely drained me financially in every way possible. And it was just that I could not see a way to continue.”

But then Sanders met University of North Texas student Jordan Britt at a pool party hosted by a mutual friend. Soon after hearing Sanders’ story, Britt decided something needed to done.

He created a group called “Save Mable Peabody’s” on the college social networking Web site Facebook.com.

Three days after the page was created, 99 people had joined the cause. A week later, that number had risen to 191.

“Especially with the prices of gas right now, not many college students can afford a 40 minute drive to Oak Lawn and back to go to the bar,” Britt said in explaining the membership growth. “If there is one that is here, five minutes down the road, it’s much more convenient.”

For Sanders, the site was motivation.

“You know I was frustrated. I was like, I can’t get the permits. But I decided after that that I’m just this deep into it that I just have got to find a way to finish it now,” she said.

The city of Denton had not responded to multiple requests for comment by press time. But although some of her patrons and supporters believe the city has delayed progress on the bar out of homophobia, Sanders says city officials are not at fault in reopening delays.

“I don’t know. Honestly I think a lot of cities are this way,” she said. “I’ m just excited to be able to see people out again in their own element. It’s been a long haul. I’m just excited to get going again.”

Pegasus News content partner - Dallas Voice
The community newspaper for gay & lesbian Dallas.

See more stories in:

• Hospitality Industry > Restaurants and Bars