LGBT Businesses of the Past
Businesses of the Past 02 August, 2007 Written by David Bain Do you remember the names of all the businesses and bars that have come and gone? Every few months the subject comes up and all of us old timers have to beat our brains to remember. Some were icons, some were way before their time, some were visionaries, and some were just a flash in the pan. We've compiled this list from memory, and from advertisements and listings in gay publications that date back to the seventies.
3400 Complex 3400 S Orange Blossom Trail
Home of many bars, clubs, and a bath house. City Bath Club, New Image Fitness Center, City Lights, Loading Dock, Orlando Eagle, Cell Block M, Video Express, J.W's, Palace Club, Sapphos Eagles Nest, Galleria, and Bunz all called this home.
4910 Edgewater Drive
This location has been a gay bar for a long long time and so it has had many names associated with its location. To make matters worse, we were told that it once had two entrances and on occasion, multiple names at the same time. First it was Palace Club, Odds & Ends, Circle J's, End Zone (1979)then Face to Face (Then finally to become Faces). 3000 Club 3000 N. Orange Avenue Near Florida Hospital Absolute Leather 3400 S Orange Blossom Trail, Mills Avenue, W Colonial Drive Jim Heimlick ran this leather store that went out of business after its 3rd and final move.
Annex 60 North Orange Avenue
Don't know much about this one. The location was next to the Beachum Theater.
Big Bang 102 N. Orange Avenue Oh, this was a really cool place that opened in 1989 that was owned by Sam Singhaus.
Bistro 857 E. Semoran Wilshire Plaza bar popular after Gay Skate and Gay bowling. It was owned by Bill Lasek. Cactus Room 121 N Bumby It is now the location of very straight Lou's Lounge.
City Bath Club 1877 S. Orange Blossom Trail Shell of this building is still standing. Once owned by Mike Hodge and Bill Miller of Parliament House fame. In 1982, it moved to 3400 S Orange Blossom Trail and was later named New Image Fitness Center.
Crews 4716 S. Orange Avenue Famous or infamous for its lockdown party on Tuesday nights. Closed shortly after an MBI raid. May have also been the location of the Kodiak Lounge. Cave, Connections
1517 N. Orange Blossom Trail Right on the rail road track. Building now houses a temporary work agency.
Compu-Who? Central Florida's first gay computer bulletin board.
Diamond Head Lounge 134 S Magnolia, 2nd Floor Owned by Bill Miller and Mike Hodge before they purchased the Parliament House Motor Inn
Faces 4910 Edgewater Drive Longest operating lesbian bar until it closed.
Flamingo Lounge, Phoenix, New Phoenix 7124 Aloma This strip mall still has a gay lounge, but the name has changed many times.
Frogg's Restaurant 2918 N Orange Avenue Another business we found by way of ads in a 1983 GLBT publication. Current location houses Athenian Garden (may have been recently razed).
Games Lounge 1811 State Road 434 Next to Reflections restaurant that lasted just a few months.
Hank's (The Original) 2825 N Orange Blossom Trail Long before its current location on Edgewater Drive. A McDonald's is now located on the site of this famous hangout.
Key Largo 6900 N Orange Blossom Trail This huge lesbian complex was once a straight country western redneck bar. Burnt down and was never resurrected.
Kulture Klub 5101 E Colonial Drive This one has me stumped. I don't remember it. That address is the location of Straub's Seafood/Oblivion Tap Room. It was advertised in a 1985 publication.
Last Spot 4908 Edgewater Drive We found a listing for this bar in a 1978 David Magazine. We think it may have been a bar that shared the building with Odds & Ends.
Lazy Pig 3421 Orange Avenue Part eatery, part lounge, that was popular with women. Charlene's Cafe occupies the space currently.
Leather Closet 498 N. Orange Blossom Trail After it closed, Twisted Palms moved to the location in the Carolina Moon Court. It was demolished to make way for The Gardens in 2003.
Mad-Lyns 832 N. Mills Great little sandwich shop. Now home to Taco Cheno
Michaels of Florida 410 N Orange Blossom Trail Clothing store at the Parliament House. Now the location of the Western bar.
Moorefield's Orange Avenue Was in the former Jaymont Plaza next door to the Terror on Church Street attraction. It was demolished to make room for the Plaza office and entertainment towers.
Murphy Jim's 249 West SR 436 Orlando's first gay stand alone restaurant located in Altamonte Springs owned by Michael Murphy.
Mister Sisters 5310 E Colonial Dr Located for a short while on the shores of Lake Barton, this night club included a large outdoor patio, dance floor, and restaurant.
Palace Club 1000 Humphries It was just over the fence from the old Naval Training Center (now Baldwin Park) It was the original late night bottle club. It opened as the Palace Club (1977-1978) after moving from 4910 Edgewater Drive, then became the Nightowl (1979-1980) and finally changed to Soundstage 1000 (1981).
Noches De Lion 921 Mills Avenue An upscale restaurant and late night RAVE club. The had a pretty good brunch. Was the former location of gay friendly Mack Meiners Country Store.
Out & About Books 930 N. Mills Bruce Ground was the owner of Orlando's first gay and lesbian book store.
Old Plantation 140 Fernwood Boulevard Former Victoria Station across from the Jai Alai fronton. Opened in 1980. Changed names a few times afterward. Central Station (1988), Boxcars, and then Fern Park Station.
Orlando Flowers 1916 Corrine Drive Richard Godbold (Miss G) and Orlando Flowers was a staple at the Central Florida Fair every year. It was purchased by Richard Veblen when Miss G retired. It closed a year later after Rick's untimely death.
Paradise Cafe 2417 E. South Street In the strip center around from Southern Nights.
Park Avenue 4315 N. Orange Blossom Trail David "Ma" Bell started the first Tea Dance at this high end straight disco with his "Sunday Club" in 1980 on the banks of Lake Fairview.
Port Au Prince, Queen of Hearts 912 West Colonial Drive Was once a Sizzler steak house, then became a pawn shop. Was razed an replaced with a Dollar Family store in 2013.
Rainbow City 936 Mills Avenue When the rainbow was in fashion, and before the internet put most specialty retailers out of business, this store owned by the late Peter Thornley was the place to buy your gay and lesbian paraphernalia.
Ruby Slipper 664 South Highway 17-92 If you remember this bar, give yourself a gay STAR!
Sadie's Tavern Owned by Judy Shaw.
Savage Connection 1124 S. Orange Avenue Opened in 1978. Served sandwiches and fondues. Randy Smith was a bartender there. An empty bank now sits on the site next to Orlando Regional Healthcare Center.
Score Game Room North Gate Plaza We found a small ad for this establishment in a publication from 1979. We think it really was a game room (you know, pinball and PacMan).
Secrets, Club Quest 745 Bennett Road This place was a real secret!
Sherri's (Formerly Bierboard) 912 N. Mills I'm not kidding. Yes it was there. Now the Funky Monkey.
Silver Hammer, Cactus Club, Club Swank (Straight), Studz, Paradise 1300 N. Mills Ave Owned by Jim Nuss, then Richard Behr before it became Cactus Club, it was the home of this leaky roofed men's club. Now home of St Matthew's Tavern.
San Juan /Grand Central Hotel 55 N Orange Avenue Fire closed it down in 1979 and it was demolished in 1981. Was at the corner of Orange and Central adjoining the Beacham Theater. The original hotel was the San Juan, it became known as the Grand Central (in 1978) when it was opened as a gay resort.
Studio 441 2922 S. Orange Blossom Trail Was a limited engagement bar in the former restaurant of the Days Inn at I-4 in 1980.
Some Place Else Fairbanks Avenue Popular after bowling. Raccine Robbins was the drag hostess.
Tracks Orlando 843 Lee Road Currently the home of Wild Rice buffet.
Thunders 3700 S. Orange Blossom Trail Was located inside an old convenience store that was replaced by the now defunct Denny's. After it closed, it housed Cell Block M for a short period before it relocated to 3400 S Orange Blossom Trail.
Twisted Palms 1321 Mills, 1310 Mills, W. Colonial Drive, 498 S. Orange Blossom Trail, 410 S Orange Blossom Trail. This clothing store has made the rounds. Now exists as Twisted Tom's at the Parliament House until it closed in 2012.
Union Cafe 337 N. Shine Thornton Park's first gay eating and drinking establishment. Now home to Maxine's on Shine.
Uncle Walt's 5454 International Drive The first and only gay establishment on the main tourist drag.
Wyldes 3557 S. Orange Avenue Had several previous lives starting at 3400 S. Orange Blossom Trail and then moving across the street to 3535 S. Orange Blossom Trail. Closed in 2012.
DAYTONA BEACH
Zodiac Lounge 1654 Ridgewood Avenue
Barracks 952 Orange Avenue
LAKELAND
Last Moving Picture Company 116 S Kentucky Owned by Bill Miller and Mike Hodge. Closed in 1982.