Leon’s Backroom, Baltimore’s oldest gay bar, will temporarily shut down after service on Wednesday night, according to a post on the business’s Instagram page.
The announcement comes a little more than a week after the death of the Mount Vernon bar’s owner, Ron Singer, who died at 66 on July 7.
The bar, normally open until 2 a.m., will close at 9 p.m. Wednesday.
“As many of you know, losing Ron has been a profound loss for this amazing community,” the post begins. “To honor his memory and navigate this business transition, we have made the decision to temporarily close our doors starting tomorrow.”
Leon’s, a staple of the region’s LGBTQIA+ community, has been open since 1957. It regularly hosts karaoke and drag shows.
Earlier this week, the bar, located at 227 W. Chase St., switched to cash-only and asked patrons to bear with the staff.
“We are doing everything we can to keep the bar open and running smoothly after Ron’s passing,” a social media post read.
Wednesday’s announcement, meanwhile, looked to the bar’s future: “We are trying our very best to reopen as fast as possible!”
Singer’s funeral was held Friday at Sol Levinson’s Chapel. Staff at Leon’s did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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