Scott Craig & Peter Alexander, owners of the nearly 25-year-old Los Angeles gay bar Akbar, launched a GoFundMe campaign this week, saying the longtime Silver Lake nightlife hotspot was “struggling to stay alive through the pandemic.”
Wrote Craig and Alexander: “Los Angeles County mandated that we shut our doors in March due to Covid-19, and since then there has been NO relief for monthly mortgage payments. We’re asking today for your support to keep Akbar from permanently closing. We know you cherish the sense of community that Akbar has fostered — the wild nights, the connections, the celebrations of joy, shared grief, the communion we aspire to provide — please give generously to our fund. The money raised will pay back the $150K small business loan we needed to cover expenses while the bar is required to be closed, and to help us get through a lean 2021. LGBTQI+ businesses in Los Angeles and around the county are closing at a rapid pace and more will not survive this winter. We can’t wait to be there for you on the other side of this pandemic. We miss you. Please help if you can.
