On Saturday, March 1, Gossip Uniontown, formerly Rumors, opened their VIP Lounge with bottle services, plush sofas, and a velvet rope. It’s part of Ryan Marshall’s new vision for the beloved bar.
When Rumors was closing, the owners reached out to a regular, Ryan Marshall, and asked him if he wanted to buy the beloved bar. He and his business partner Kyle Norman bought Rumors in August 2024 and reopened it under the name Gossip in October 2024.
Marshall said, “We are the only bar between Charleston, West Virginia, and Pittsburgh. On opening night, we had a patron who drove four hours to come to see us. He still comes once a month.”
Marshall, who identifies as gay, admitting, “I’m gay as the day is long,” brought in his best friend, Kyle Norman, who identifies as straight, as his business partner. Both men grew up in Fayette County.
Gossip’s new VIP lounge. Photos courtesy of Gossip.
Marshall and Norman are hands-on owners. Marshall said, “I do whatever needs to be done.” He and Norman have tended bar, Norman learned how to become a DJ and, as of Friday, February 23, has been spinning tunes under the name DJ Wile E. Kyleote, riffing off the famous Warner Brothers cartoon coyote.
Marshall said, “Gossip has something going on almost every evening.” Gossip has a regular Taco Tuesday night with Jose Margaritas and $3 tacos, Wednesday Wings, with chicken wings and a variety of sauces, and Karaoke on Thursdays. Marshall added, “We have the best wings in Uniontown.”
Uniontown’s only LGBTQ+ bar has a diverse population, including straight people. Patrons come from both sides of the aisle politically, but Marshall said, “We haven’t had any trouble here.”
Drag diva Nicole St. George is a regular patron and drag performer at Gossip. St. George said, “I have to say the owners of the bar are doing an amazing job. I’ve been involved with every other iteration of the club for the last 20 years the current one is unique. So many wonderful things to offer the community. It’s an amazing fun place and definitely worth a visit!”
Marshall and Norman believe in giving back to the community. Gossip began their charity events raising money for the American Cancer Society through the Relay for Life and continue to donate and fundraise for the organization. On Valentine’s Day weekend, the nightclub held a Valentine’s Soiree and Date Auction, selling off bachelors and bachelorettes to the highest bidder. The proceeds of the festive event went to the Fayette Friends of Animals. Marshall and Norman participated in the auction with Norman getting the highest bid. Marshall said, “Our friends bought dates with us.”
On Sunday, March 9, Gossip will welcome the Cousins Maine Lobster Food Truck. The vehicle parked on the property. Owners Sabin Lomac and Jim Tselikis appeared on season four of Shark Tank. Their deal with Barbara Corcoran became one of the most successful ventures in Shark Tank history. Cousins Maine Lobster now has locations in twenty-five states and has grown to more than five hundred million dollars in revenue. On Sunday, Cousins Maine Lobster Food Truck will be serving their Lobster Roll, Maine Lobster Tail, Cape Cod chips, Lobster Quesadilla and Whoopie Pies while Gossip will open their doors that Sunday offering drink specials.
Marshall and Norman are preparing a St. Patrick’s Day Kegs and Eggs Bar Crawl which will begin with brunch on Saturday, March 15 with a bus tour of local bars including Smitty’s, Rizz’s, Potters, the Fork and Froth, Bootleggers, and more.
Gossip is located at 231 Pittsburgh Street, Uniontown, PA 15401.
