WeHo’s Most Popular Nightclub, The Abbey, Is Closing Its Doors And Throws Blame On Its Patrons
It wasn’t long ago that many Southern California residents and tourists alike were traveling towards West Hollywood to specifically party in the gayborhood. One of the most visited gay spots has always been The Abbey, which had such a peak popularity that the staff and establishment had a seven-episode reality series on the E! Network. The show was god awful, but that had no affect on its business. While the nightclub has had its fair share of controversy in recent years, it still remains WeHo’s most bustling place to mingle, dance, and so much more. Now, amid another California lockdown, The Abbey is closing its doors for the time being. But, the club’s social media handler, likely owner David Cooley, isn’t blaming COVID-19 or government, but instead… the boys of WeHo.
According to The Abbey’s Facebook, WeHo’s hottest club is likely going to be shut down until 2021 and all of its staff will be laid off beginning November 25th. California Governor, Gavin Newsom, despite recently being caught indoor dining with a group of colleagues at an expensive restaurant, has set an additional lockdown for the state. This new lockdown includes all bars and restaurants to shut down all indoor and outdoor dining experiences, thus only allowing to-go orders. The Abbey claims they have invested money into following all new Coronavirus guidelines and have even extended their alley and parking spaces to accommodate clientele. However, the Facebook post throws blame on “entitled” patrons who weren’t observing guidelines. They told:
“Most of our guests are happy to follow the guidelines and safety protocols. Every day we see overly entitled people who don’t think the virus will come for them and don’t think they have any part to play in stopping its spread. It is sad and upsetting, that some people just believe they are above the law. When the curfew went into effect, we saw guests leave our restaurant at 10 PM and invite everyone to the after party at their house. People who refuse to wear a mask, socially distance and limit their gatherings to immediate households, are responsible for putting all these people out of work.”
If you’re a local to WeHo, a stroll through the neighborhood is completely different. Over six gay bars have shut down and only a few remain, the ones backed by a ton of money. The Abbey noticed the tragic change as well. Especially during the Holiday season, when some LGBTQ+ persons have their chosen family of like-minded people to spend it with rather than blood relatives, these safe spaces to be ourselves have become more than a level of comfort, but a place to spend a Holiday. The Abbey continued:
“It’s particularly hard for LGBTQ+ spaces going into the holidays. We’re more than just a restaurant, we’re a safe space for people to celebrate the holidays. As we’ve seen with the election, LGBTQ+ people are still not safe everywhere in the United States. The Abbey has helped people feel welcomed and loved during the holidays for almost 30 years.”
Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star, Lisa Vanderpump, owns PUMP restaurant next door to The Abbey and she’s fired up about the latest lockdown policy, too. While she likely has enough money to keep her many restaurants alive, she knows others don’t… as her neighborhood is becoming nothing but boarded up buildings which could eventually affect her revenue in the future. In a deleted tweet, she called out Newsom for dining inside with his friends last week (as mentioned above) and was curious why restaurants had to close at 10PM. In a not deleted tweet, below, Vanderpump tags Newsom and is basically calling him a hypocrite.
Don’t do as I do, do as I say.#lockdown.#restaurants.@GavinNewsom
— Lisa Vanderpump (@LisaVanderpump) November 23, 2020
After the pandemic is over, we will have to see what changes were temporary or which ones will be permanent. It is unfortunate that so many coveted LGBTQ+ spaces across the nation and globe have been so severely affected by COVID and the changes we have had to make. Will these businesses recover? Will they return? How will things change and be different post-COVID?
For more on this, check out The Abbey’s full statement of (temporary?) closure below:
Writer’s Note: This is the opinion of one Instinct Magazine contributor and does not reflect the views of Instinct Magazine itself or fellow contributors.
Source: Fox News
