👠 Is drag leaving Capitol Hill?

Queer/Bar Is Being Sold to The Cuff Owner

The well-known Capitol Hill drag and nightlife bar Queer/Bar is changing ownership. Sources told CHUM reporter Jas Keimig that current owner Joey Burgess is planning on selling the bar and exiting the queer nightlife space. Scott Walent, the owner of The Cuff Complex, will take over sometime in July. Burgess previously owned The Cuff and sold it to Walent in March 2025. [CHUM]

• Last call for beloved shows: Though the deal is still in “the early stages,” news of the sale has led some long-standing Queer/Bar shows to wrap up their relationship with the venue for a variety of reasons. Some performers say communication with management about the future of their shows has been inconsistent and unclear – leading them to seek solid ground elsewhere. Others cut ties with The Cuff after its owners’ slow response to allegations of predatory actions by a Cuff employee. Queer/Bar, coming under the same ownership, has left those performers seeking other venues. [CHUM]
• Queer/Bar’s legacy: In 2017, Queer/Bar took over the space previously known as Purr. Over the last nearly 10 years, the venue became known for burlesque and drag, regularly featuring well-known drag performers from RuPaul’s Drag Race. The bar became a venue for new talent to grow (and pay their bills) as well as a launch pad to national stardom: four resident queens – Bosco, Irene the Alien, Arrietty, and Jane Don’t – have gone on to compete on Drag Race. [CHUM]
• Ripple effect on the hill’s drag scene: The space is likely to remain a gay bar, but the sale means many of the performers are seeking out new spaces. Some are moving within the neighborhood to Massive, but others are leaving for Beacon Hill’s Clock-Out Lounge. To hear more about what this means for Capitol Hill’s status as the gayborhood, listen to our conversation with CHUM’s co-founder Adam Willems 🎧

🪧 It’s a hot labor summer: Hospitality workers at two Seattle businesses started striking last week. Workers with the Local 8 union at the Hilton Embassy Suites in Pioneer Square have been picketing the hotel since 6:30 a.m. on Thursday. The unionized staff at the Walrus and the Carpenter, co-owned by chef Renee Erickson, are also on strike. The two groups have visited each other’s picket lines in solidarity. [The Stranger]

🥵 What does El Niño mean for the PNW? We’re already in our second heatwave of the summer, the sad state of our snowpack is notable, and El Niño is on the way. The term refers to warmer-than-normal sea surface temperatures in the equatorial Pacific Ocean, which influences weather globally. In Washington, it’s associated with warmer, drier winters with a lower-than-normal snowpack. Yikes. [Seattle Times]

🏖️ New bus to Golden Gardens for the summer: King County Metro is piloting a new “Golden Gardens Direct” route running every 30 minutes starting June 27. Service will run from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily through Aug. 30 between Ballard's Market Street corridor and the beach. Just remember, the park closes at 10:30 p.m., and it’s always a good idea to check the water safety before jumping in at any beach. [KING 5]