LGBTQ Bar Struggles to Survive Pandemic

The pandemic has impacted all types of businesses but minority-owned have been disproportionately affected by it. The coronavirus pandemic has exacerbated long-time issues such as access to funding. It has also raised new worries on minority-owned businesses about having to close permanently. The MetLife& U.S. Chamber of Commerce Special Report on Race and Inequality on Main Street found that “two in three (66%) minority-owned small businesses are concerned about having to permanently close their business versus 57% for non-minority small businesses.” Taking all this information as a source of inspiration, I found Wunderbar, an LGBTQ-owned business located in downtown Syracuse that strives for creating a friendly and safe atmosphere for the LGBTQ community where theater and art can flourish. I wanted to be able to share this story because Wunderbar is a staple in Syracuse’s LGBTQ community and losing it could have a devastating impact for many who call it a second home.