FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Gay Bar Reinvents Itself As Record STORE With Craft Cocktails Due To COVID-19
*Troupe429: Records & Spirits*
Troupe429: LGBTQ Bar Is Reopened and Reimagined as Pop-Up Record & Refreshment Experience
Visitors Can Browse Thousands of Records Under the Most Disco Balls in the State
NORWALK, CT (August 4, 2020) — Troupe429, a LGBTQ bar and performance space in Norwalk, Connecticut, has taken a unique reopening path to recover from 4 months of being closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Troupe429 does not have a kitchen, unlike most bars in Connecticut, which means reopening in original form is not an option. Troupe429 however, is thinking outside of the box in order to reignite business and reopen their doors for the LGBTQ community and their allies.
Troupe429 has transformed their disco ball dance floor into a full-service record store with thousands of vintage and new records for sale to support the bar. After browsing the vinyls, customers can make their way to the back of the record store where a host will greet and escort them into the Troupe429 lounge to enjoy signature cocktails and snacks. An outdoor seated patio is also available. Special dates will include drag queens, kings, & possibly even professional hula hoopers dancing to vinyls. All liquor and vinyl sales from this pop-up experience supports the future reopening of Troupe429 as a dance club and performance space once it is safe to do so.
Thousands of records from 50’s classics to brand new releases are available for purchase at Troupe429. The expansive record selection ranges from ABBA to Zeppelin along with first name-only gay icons like Madonna, Whitney, Diana, and CHER. Every record has been inspected for the highest quality playback by Joe Masher (online record store owner and President of the National Association of Theatre Owners). Troupe429’s available record selection has been curated over the past 35-years, with more records added weekly and special request orders available.
A variety of cocktails will be available for purchase as dine-in or to-go in reusable, sealable travel carafes. Troupe429’s signature cocktails include the “Glamazon,” a combination of pineapple & passion fruit vodka, mango juice, and grenadine swirl, a Britney Spears-inspired “Rainbow Fantasy,” a Moscow Mule, classic Margarita, and more. Visit the menu at Troupe429.com
Founders of Troupe429, Casey Fitzpatrick and Nicholas Ruiz said,
“We are overjoyed and emotional to be reopening our doors after almost four months of quarantine. Our Troupers and some who have yet to visit Troupe429 have asked how they can support us during this time. We think there’s no better way than records and refreshments!”
Fitzpatrick notes,
“There are less than 700 queer bars left in America. They have been closing at an alarming rate for the past decade, and being hit with COVID-19 and a prolonged quarantine has increased the odds of more LGBTQ bars closing before the end of the year. We really must come together as a community to save our safe spaces right now.”
Fitzpatrick and Ruiz also added,
“The health and safety of our family, staff, and customers remains our number one priority. We chose to close Troupe429 before our state mandated the closure of bars. We have been taking every step possible to help eradicate this virus, while at the same time saving our queer business from closing permanently. All safety guidelines are being administered along with meticulous daily cleaning, and every customer must wear a mask while shopping. We want Troupers to be able to step back onto our dance floor under the 29 disco balls and help support their space by buying a record and cocktail.”