Baltimore's longtime gay bar Leon's reopens after abrupt closure

When Leon's shut down in July following the sudden death of its owner, many wondered if the Baltimore bar would reopen.

After two and a half months, one of Baltimore's oldest gay bars reopened Wednesday. Customers began arriving as soon as the doors opened at 3 p.m.

The closure left a void in Baltimore's LGBTQ+ community, which has relatively few gay bar options.

Many longtime customers vowed to support the bar and return when it reopened. Meanwhile, other gay bars in the area stepped up to support Leon's staff during the uncertain period.

Keeping the bar open

Leon's managers, Sam Smith and Tina Wallace, said reopening the bar took a little longer than they would have liked.

The two said logistical challenges delayed the reopening, with the biggest question being who would replace Ron Singer as owner.

The bar announced Singer's death on social media July 8. He had owned Leon's for more than 20 years.

Smith and his wife, Samm Singer, Ron Singer's youngest daughter, have decided to take over the bar. They are still working through the process of officially transferring ownership.

The couple and Leon's staff also had to renew the bar's permits.

Smith said the goal is to make sure Leon's never closes again.

"One of the worst parts of coming to work was seeing one of those signs on the door saying, 'Hey, we're shut down because of this [issue].' I never want that to happen," Smith said. "That's why we've been very adamant about doing everything right."

There aren't many noticeable changes inside the bar, aside from a fresh coat of paint. Staff members have also been working to clean up the space.

"Having the bar closed actually gave us enough time to give it the love it needed and do things you couldn't normally do if you were consistently open every single day," Wallace said.

As soon as Leon's reopened, customers began coming through the doors. One of them was Jack Mayhew.

"It was tough at first, you didn't know where to go," Mayhew said of the closure. "Everybody started hanging out at the same bar, it was okay for the moment, [but we] always were hoping [Leon's] was gonna reopen again. It's nice to see all my friends and family here with me."

Other bars open their doors

While Leon's was closed, other gay bars stepped up to support its staff.

The Club Car, The Drinkery and Mixers allowed Leon's bartenders to pick up shifts, while some also hosted Leon's events. Some bars even extended their hours to help fill the void left by Leon's closure.

Smith and Wallace said they had never seen that kind of support before.

"I'm bad at asking for help," Smith said. "They kept people employed, people to eat their meals, pay their bills."

Wallace said Leon's had a competitive relationship with some area gay bars in the past. But she said that has changed.

"I don't think that's a thing anymore. I think the community really is united," Wallace said.