"Although I'm happy with the decision and it's the right thing to do, I wanted to do it under the radar. I wanted to just go because I don't think there's anything to celebrate with the state of Soho at the moment, Mr Joseph said. It's sad. I'm not just giving up my business but my home, but when you lose that love for what you are doing it is hard to carry on."
"If you look at Old Compton Street, it's largely restaurants now. All of the LGBTQ+ venues are owned by a large corporation, and we are losing these independent venues. It is the right time to go, and I want to go remembering the good times of Soho, he lamented. Mr Joseph said he would love to open another bar in the future, but not until the Soho he knew and loved returns one that includes reclaiming its LGBTQ+ identity. Pride was the final nail in the coffin, for me, I think."
G-A-Y Bar in Soho will close after 25 years, with its final service on October 4 and 5. The owner has fallen out of love with Soho and decided to shut the venue because he no longer feels the enthusiasm to continue. A Night Time Industries Association report shows one in four late-night venues has closed since 2020, a loss of nearly 800 UK on-trade businesses and a 26.4% drop in late-night venues. London late-night venues fell from 433 in March 2020 to 343 now. Old Compton Street is increasingly restaurants and corporately owned venues, eroding independent LGBTQ+ nightlife and the area's vibrancy.
Read at www.standard.co.uk
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