The Queen Rises from the Ashes Like a Phoenix

The 19 Bar has been a solid neighborhood staple in the Loring Park area since 1952. Ensconced in an unassumingly low grey brick building with a maroon awning and trim, and settled into its spot at 19 W. 15th St. — hence its name! — the 19 has served as its clientele’s local watering hole for decades. Much like the 1980s TV show “Cheers,” it truly was the kind of bar where “everyone knows your name.”

The dark exposed brick walls, the pinball machines and juke box, the neon signs casting a subtle glow over dart boards, the pool tables illuminated by hanging stained glass light fixtures overhead, the large bar with patrons seated around it, enjoying their drinks and chatting with each other and the bartenders … all came together to make for a safe, inclusive and welcoming atmosphere for the LGBTQ+ community in the Twin Cities. Young people mingled with the older crowd, all enjoying each other’s company in the embrace of a Loring Park institution.

In pride of place on one of the walls hung a painting of Queen Elizabeth II, a longtime fixture of the 19 Bar that everyone knew and loved, and that had graced the north wall of the bar for decades. The Queen ascended the throne of Great Britain in the same year that the 19 Bar came into being, and her portrait held court as solidly as the bar itself.

All of this came to an abrupt end on the afternoon of March 22, 2024, when a garbage truck hit a nearby utility pole, causing live electrical wires to fall on the building’s gas supply and ignite a fire that raged rampant through the building. Nearby residents watched in shock and despair as the Minneapolis Fire Department valiantly battled the flames, trying to save the iconic building.

When the flames were extinguished, the devastation was apparent — while nobody had been injured, the damage was significant. The basement, first floor and ceiling were heavily impacted by fire, smoke and water, leaving the 19 Bar’s eight employees out of work. A GoFundMe was quickly established to help, raising over $25,000 to assist them with expenses while owner Gary Hallberg embarked on the monumental task of rebuilding the LGBTQ+ watering hole.

The age of the building, along with numerous city codes and inspections, mounting expenses and an ongoing lawsuit with the garbage company that owned the truck, caused the restoration and reopening of the 19 Bar to take longer than expected. Still, Hallberg persevered, knowing how important the bar was to the residents in the area, especially as other old bars and landmarks were disappearing to neglect, gentrification and obsolescence as the neighborhood changed with time. To see a thriving and beloved neighborhood bar disappear and be leveled for yet another luxury condo or apartment building was something that neither he nor the 19 Bar’s new owner, Craig Wilson, were willing to allow if at all possible.

Finally, after nearly a year, the day for the grand reopening arrived. Earlier plans had it scheduled for opening on New Year’s Eve, but city inspections and requirements pushed it out to February 27, 2025. Excited patrons gathered for the ribbon cutting, which had both Hallman and Wilson sharing the giant scissors to cut the rainbow ribbon and allow patrons back inside for their triumphant return to the glow of neon, the clacking of pool balls, and the laughter and witty repartee between old friends and new.

The 19 Bar is back, with a freshly updated look due to the restoration, but still with the comfortable and traditional feel that patrons have long associated with the establishment and have come to love and appreciate. With the Twin Cities Pride Festival just around the corner, it’s certain that the place will be packed like usual, overflowing from the inside out onto the patio to celebrate the camaraderie and party atmosphere that spills over from the park long after the vendors and booths have drawn their curtains for the night. The venerable 19 Bar is ready to march on to another 70 years of serving the community — members and allies alike, celebrating the diversity and deep loyalty of the neighborhood that has supported the 19 Bar for so long.

And yes, the portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, saved from the flames, is back in her longtime spot, proving that true royalty will never be kept down for long.

Long live the gem in the crown of Loring Park’s LGBTQ+ community.