Last Call at Gladius

According to a management source, Gladius at 1111 Hennepin Avenue in Downtown Minneapolis will close its doors permanently on December 18. It’s the second local GLBT bar to shut down in the past two months, following on the demise of Rumours/Innuendo in St. Paul on October 30.

Owner Philip Berglin opened Gladius on September 11, 2009. The Ancient-Roman-themed establishment billed itself as “The New York Chic of Minneapolis,” attracting primarily an upscale younger clientele.

Over its year-and-a-quarter history, Gladius hosted a number of fundraisers for local GLBT organizations, especially the Imperial Court of Minnesota, of which Berglin was Emperor X and Empress XIV (as Heather Haldane).