Flaming Saddles, the gay Country / Western bar in the heart of West Hollywood’s Boystown, is the latest casualty of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Jacqui Squatriglia and Chris Barnes, its owners, announced the closing today.
“It has been a very long five months, very long indeed,” the couple said in a text message announcing their decision. “Throughout these months Chris and I have chosen to stay positive. I had spoken to landlords, thought I worked out deals, and we were watching the science carefully as well as city and state regulations. We wanted to make sure it was as safe as possible before we attempted to re-open our doors.
“Well, as we were drawing close to opening Flaming Saddles WeHo, it was revealed to us that we did not have a secure deal. That was certainly a surprise, but we went immediately into re -negotiating. If you know Chris and I, you know that we do not give up, we fight to the end and always stay positive. That being said, please know that we have absolutely exhausted every way possible to make a deal for our location.
“With the heaviest of hearts, we are sad to say that Flaming Saddles WeHo will not be reopening at 8811 Santa Monica Blvd.”
The closing of Flaming Saddles follows that of Gym Bar, another popular gay destination, whose owners last month said they were unable to work out a deal with the landlord.
Barnes and Squatriglia opened Flaming Saddles in November 2014 in the building on the northeast corner of Santa Monica Boulevard at Larrabee that once was home to the Eleven nightclub. The building is owned by Monte Overstreet, the owner of buildings that house other gay bars such as Gold Coast and Rage and restaurants and retailers such as Halal Guys (now closed), Z Pizza, and Fiesta Cantina. In March, Gov. Gavin Newsom had ordered bars to close in an effort to curb the transmission of the COVID-19 virus in packed places. They were ordered to re-open on June 18 if they followed strict social distancing rules. Then Newsom abruptly ordered them closed again on June 18 as COVID-19 infections continued to climb.
Bars that serve food and thus operate as restaurants are allowed to remain open, but only if they serve meals and drinks on the outside. That has led to the opening of dozens of outdoor dining spaces on the sidewalks and in parking lots throughout West Hollywood, including the Den on Sunset on Sunset Boulevard and Hamburger Mary’s on Santa Monica Boulevard.
The West Hollywood City Council on April 6 passed an ordinance that banned landlords from evicting commercial tenants who couldn’t pay their rent because of losses associated with the pandemic. That eviction moratorium covered unpaid rents from March 16 through May 31. On May 4, the Council extended that moratorium through the end of July. And on July 20 it voted to extend the moratorium through Sept. 30. Commercial tenants with 20 or fewer employees will have one year from the time the moratorium is lifted to repay the back rent owed. Commercial tenants with 21 or more employees will only have six months to repay the back rent.
Barnes and Squatriglia own the very popular Flaming Saddles bar in New York City. They faced challenges with the opening of their Country / Western bar in West Hollywood, where go go boys in jock straps are what pass for much of the entertainment in the city’s gay nightlife area. People said it wouldn’t work and there had been a rumor posted on Facebook that Flaming Saddles had failed and would be closed after the June 2015 LA Pride weekend. But Barnes and Squatriglia kept at it. In an interview with WEHOville in 2015, the couple said their focus was creating a neighborhood saloon, — a place where you can hang out with old friends and meet new ones, and where the staff gets to know you and remembers what you like to drink (and eat). “Open up the base brand and then be aware of what the community wants to let it grow,” Squatriglia said. Over time, Flaming Saddles evolved (it wasn’t just Country / Western music) and the professionally choreographed dancers weren’t required to keep their shirts on.
Flaming Saddles owners had a great concept for their club,but it didn’t quite mesh with what most gay patrons were looking for on Santa Monica Blvd.I think most guys were looking for Micky’s or Hi-Tops,not country music,though I always enjoy a change of pace when I go out.
Good luck to the owners of Flaming Saddles in whatever they do next.
I thank the city Council for this. I hope all five of you are proud of yourselves.
This Flaming Saddles got off on the wrong foot (straight New Yorkers thinking they knew WeHo better than WeHo gays do) and tbh it never proved itself to be even half as sexy and fun as Eleven. It’s sad to see local businesses closing this year, but I’m optimistic something more fitting for that building space will thrive one day, hopefully sooner rather than later.
I always liked Flaming Saddles. Best of luck to the owners in the future.
Politicians on EVERY level of government who do not have the answers for these businesses need to be replaced, regardless of what political party they represent. We do not reward failure and someone else needs to take a shot at fixing what we have now. I don’t think any business should be shut down that is following agreed upon safety protocols unless you can prove that business is a source of covid spreading. If you feel otherwise, fine. But you have to have a better plan, that is actually realistic. People can’t get by on good intentions alone.
This is but the tip of the iceberg. I fear many more businesses will not survive. And we also have the probable calamity of people not being able to pay their back rent which could result in an unimaginable increase in the number of homeless. This is a disaster of Biblical proportions.
What an odd way to end an article on a bar closing ” . . . and the professionally choreographed dancers weren’t required to keep their shirts on.”
So sad. Who’s next, and worse: what bougee straight Vanderpump nightmare will replace all these closing gay bars?
This is just like Trejo’s Donuts, y’all will be back.
The silver lining of this pandemic….is that the pace of change for SMB …is accelerated.
Hopefully the area will receive capital soon……and the street can be cleaned up.
This is no surprise. I am an acquaintance of Jackie and Chris and frequent their Saddle in NY as well as WEHO. I have several friends that this will leave jobless! I have never heard one single good word spoken about the shriveled up little prune of an excuse for a human named Monty Overstreet! He has for all of my years in WEHO been a blight on every business he has dealt with. And the miserable excuse we have for a city council is no better. I helped campaign for city hood here in 1984 and I am embarrassed… Read more »
This is truly sad as with Gym Bar, 665, and so many other small businesses we have lost and will lose. Unfortunately, there is no one on City Council with any retail brick and mortar, hospitality, or real business experience. Hence, entirely out of touch as exhibited by John Heilman’s anemic agenda item that suggests staycations and best practices for the film industry to generate business for our empty hotels. Sadly, there is no film industry, and why would anyone want a staycation in a ghost town? The West Hollywood Chamber of Commerce is basically a lobbying organization for the… Read more »
Just FYI – Marco is running for WeHo City Council.
Any new blood would be welcomed compared to what we’ve had to endure for the last 25 years.
Marco, I’m curious. If you were on the Council now, what would you have proposed? How would you have intervened, between a private property owner and a business owner? What legal methods would you have taken? I don’t say this in defense of the City Council, but if you are running, please let us all know? You say you have experience, and imply a “bold plan.” Please let us all know what that entails?
Hi Randy,
As I mentioned in my comment, I am interested to hear what, if anything the business owners believe our local government might have done to help. I don’t believe there are miracles, but I do think we can always do more and of course on a case by case basis.
Please keep a eye out for article I’ve submitted to Wehoville outlining a plan for Economic Recovery. It should be published within the next few days. I’m interested in feedback. Thank you, Marco 3234747032
marco4weho@gmail.com
Thank you for the response. I’m very curious. I’m just not sure what the City could do (legally) to prevent such a situation. And honestly, as a residential landlord (just one unit), I don’t think I’d be too happy if the local government told me I had to carry a non-rent-paying tenant, if his or her lease was up. I’m not referring to moratoriums, which is a separate issue (although I don’t know how I’d carry my place w/o my tenant’s rent, for a full year). I know, it is a different situation, as there is residential rent control. I… Read more »