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CC Slaughters, the 39-year-old Portland gay bar located in Old Town, is the latest business to announce that it will close indefinitely as the coronavirus pandemic continues to rattle the city's nightlife.
The bar announced on Facebook that it will shut its doors after service on Sunday, Oct. 11, though the message holds out hope it could one day serve patrons again.
"Unfortunately, 2020 has been very hard on small businesses everywhere and we are no exception to the hard times we all are experiencing," the post reads. "We hope we can open our doors again to you (our family) sometime in the future, but until then, please be safe, practice social distancing, and take care."
CC's reopened under socially distant guidelines in June after a three-month closure. Despite making changes over the summer—including a sidewalk patio next to neighboring gay landmark Darcelle's—the business couldn't sustain itself with the revenue losses affecting the entire nightlife industry.
CC's became downtown Portland's largest LGBTQ+ venue after Embers on Northwest Broadway closed suddenly in 2017 and its once-promised successor never materialized.
Many Portlanders would name CC's as the first gay bar they ever visited. It was often a gateway to Portland's wider LGBTQ+ community, with bachelorette parties, college kids, tourists and regulars packing the club for drag shows, dance nights and cocktails.
When the news was posted Oct. 4, hundreds of patrons expressed their condolences, grief and memories online.
"Thanks for sharing this space that allowed so many people to make connections with each other, music, dance, and performance," Kanoa Paez commented under CC's Facebook post. "Thanks for the amazing times you've shared with us! See you in the future hopefully!"