Image by Claudia Rieth
There are only 36 lesbian bars in the country. Queer women seek to build community, but both homophobia from mainstream establishments and misogyny from many gay bars often leave them out in the cold. The team behind Blended Café & Club seeks to change that.
The project’s Kickstarter launched on June 3 for Pride Month to test community demand and support. Within one week, it raised $7,410 from 123 different backers.
“My fiancée and I were talking about how there needs to be more room for sapphics and sapphic faces,” says Creative Director Claudia Rieth. “A lot of people have been seeing the same exact vision and been wanting and needing this kind of place.”
Blended would operate as a café during the day with coffee, pastries, and cozy vibes then become a craft cocktail bar at night. Plans are already in the works for activities at all times of the day including book clubs, creators markets, live music, and more.
“We want it to be somewhere someone could go all the time,” says Rieth. “It can cater to two different sides of the sapphic community. You have the night owls, but not everyone likes loud music and stuff like that. Sometimes people just want to chill and hang out.”
Bar and Beverage Director Julia Smith also wants to build a unique menu that keeps people coming back both night and day.
“I really love the idea of doing a blended espresso martini flight,” says Smith. “I want to make ours different flavors that are more tailored to us like chamomile, honey, and lavender. I want to make sure that even in our cocktail hours we’re still giving people that coffee essence.”
In the meantime, the team urges anyone who’d be interested in the café to donate to the Kickstarter. The goal is to raise $40,000 by July 3 in order to secure a location and begin the startup process sooner. However, with accessibility on the mind, the team knows that not everybody has the means to contribute, but their voices can still be heard.
“Nobody will be charged if we don’t make the goal. Nothing is going to be taken out of your account yet,” says Rieth. “That’s something we definitely want to reassure to people that are struggling right now.”
Even if the Kickstarter goal isn’t hit, the team still plans on making Blended a reality. “It’s simply going to be a way longer process because we have to explore small business grants and investors.”
Once open, Rieth and Smith hope that Blended will be like a second home to gay women in Cincinnati who may not have many other safe places to be themselves.
“With the community coming together and helping us secure a location, it ensures that it isn’t just our place. This is everyone’s place,” says Rieth. “The whole goal here is that you are never alone. That no one is ever alone.
You can donate to the Blended Café & Club Kickstarter here.
Facebook Comments