After years of throwing popular LGBTQ-friendly Sunday-afternoon tea dances, Richard Cooke embarked on opening a bar in Over-the-Rhine, which he envisioned as a place to "dance in a safe and welcoming place."
The pandemic hit as the Procter & Gamble alum and his husband Martin Wagner readied to open e19 Lounge Bar & Discothèque. But there was only one thing to do, he said: Stay the course.
That meant no big dance floor until this past June, with table service instead.
On the one-year anniversary of e19's opening at the corner of Findlay and Elm streets, Cooke shared his vision and the lessons he learned about opening in a pandemic with The Enquirer's "That's So Cincinnati" podcast.
"You have to create the change you want," Cooke said.
Listen to "That's So Cincinnati" for free on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and iHeart Media. The podcast is also available by clicking the link at the top of this article.
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