Charleston gay club
Site of the Grand Palace
Originally at this location was Summers Market, built in the early 1940s and owned by Abraham and Takla Summers. In the 1970s Abraham Summers retired and the business passed to one of his daughters. In 1974, she decided to stop managing the store and sold it to her brother, Lee Summers. Lee Summers opened The Greek Downtown Lounge, one of the first two gay bars in Charleston. The other was the Longbranch on Morris Street, owned by Hershel Layne. Both opened around the same period.
In the late 1970s Summers built an addition on the building, added a proper stage and dancefloor, and rebranded the bar to the Grand Palace. The Grand Palace was Charleston’s biggest male lover bar, on busy nights there might be 800 people there.
In 1986 Summers approached Hershel Layne about purchasing the Grand Palace since Hershel owned other gay bars in the city, and Hershel purchased the building for $200,000. Unfortunately, in the 1980s and 1990s a new type of crowd attended the bar as the stigma of attending a gay bar lessened, and the establishment was plagued by drug raids and other issues. Hershel closed the Grand Palace around 2003 and the building sat vacant for a coupl
NORTH CHARLESTON — Brent Compagni wanted to provide the queer community with a new option.
The city already boasts one space with drag queens and gyrate music, so his first business venture would be different. A speakeasy-inspired cocktail lounge would best attend the LGBTQ+ community, he decided.
“I thought it would be good to offer a space that people could talk to others within the society and bring the people together,” said Compagni of Bar Polari, which opened at 1813 Reynolds Ave., in July. “We really focus on not only the cocktails themselves but curating a space that makes everyone want to talk to each other.”
The new cocktail bar is named after a establish of slang that evolved into a secret language and was popularized by the gay community in the 19th century. Prevent Polari patrons will locate Compagni, who moved to Charleston four years ago, at the bar most nights, where patrons can choose from about a dozen house-crafted cocktails enjoy the Bibi with tequila, Campari, grapefruit, lime, strawberry syrup and soda.
“I like meeting new people and love being a host and making people experience welcome and warm,” Compagni said.
Bar Polari also boasts three nonalcoholic drinks an
BAR
POLARI
What do you recognize about Polari?
Polari, a form of slang that evolved into a thoughtful of secret language, was used by various marginalized groups and popularized by the gay community in the 19th century. With this idea in consciousness, owner Brent Compagni created Bar Polari as an intimate setting where you and your friends or lovers can kick support and kiki with us. Tucked away on Reynolds Ave., Bar Polari is a special hideaway for the LGBTQ+ community in Charleston.
At Bar Polari, we're redefining what it means to be a gay bar. Our cozy indoor space provides a sensual and ambient atmosphere for friends, wanderers, and adventurers to share a drink and a story together as equals. While our community may be under attack, we can gather as our legitimate selves to share our dreams, fears, and plans over our favorite libations. Fundamentally, Bar Polari is a space where you can come for a drink and a chat.
We want to be exclusive in the best way possible. Everyone is invited, but only some are in the know. Now that you’re in the know, join us for refreshingly unique and carefully curated drinks. Our cocktail menu may have some unfamiliar ingredient
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