Back in 2004, two friends from Pittsburgh, Darin Smith and Ralph Morrow, were enjoying a few drinks at a bar in Tampa. Ralph was working for USAir at the time and layoffs were on the horizon. Darin was an engineer but, as he was nearing 40, he wanted something more fulfilling, more meaningful. Both were looking for a change and, in that Florida bar, the plan for a bar back in Pittsburgh with a more “neighborhood” feel to it began to take shape.
As Darin describes it, Pittsburgh’s gay bars at the time were not very public-facing, many of them in less-than-desirable locations. Darin and Ralph looked at bars in the West End and the North Side before learning that the owner of New York, New York, a bar in Shadyside, was looking to sell. One visit and the guys knew, this was the spot.
In December 2004, Darin and Ralph didn’t just purchase the bar license–they bought the whole building, including the bar itself and the ten apartments above it; they were going to be their own landlords. But what to call the new place?
“We just couldn’t come up with an exciting name,” Darin says. They wanted a name with a neighborhood/sports bar feel to it for a venue similar to George’s Alibi in Ft. Lauderdale or Sidetrack in Chicago. The bar was to be a video lounge (which was all the rage at the time), but they also needed people to know that it wasn’t just a bar, that it would also serve food. After tossing around a couple of ideas, they finally settled on 5801 Video Lounge & Cafe , named after the address of the establishment. A few months and a couple renovations later, the grand opening was held on May 27, 2005.
“We wanted this to be the Cheers of gay bars,” Darin says with a laugh. The goal was to be more than just another place to drink; Darin and Ralph wanted the bar to be integrated into the community. The guys were active in the gay volleyball and softball leagues at the time, so they hoped 5801 would extend that community support and build