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A popular restaurant in the Hillcrest neighborhood of San Diego is one of 20 local businesses around the country recognized for serving the LGBTQ + community.
Gossip Grill was recognized for the Queer to Stay: An LGBTQ + Business Preservation Initiative, a human rights campaign and grant from Showtime, an initiative to help small businesses targeting the LGBTQ + community affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Gossip Grill owner Moe Girton said the eatery has been viewed by many San Diegan people as a safe place for women and the queer community for over 12 years.
“We’re a communal space and resource center for so many people,” said Moe Girton, the owner of Gossip Grill. “We’re the only women’s bar in Southern California right now. Closing it down would be devastating for the community.”
Some of the workers struggling hardest to survive during the economic downturn are people like bartenders and waiters who rely on tips to pay their monthly bills. NBC7’s Bridget Naso went to a popular Hillcrest bar to get a perspective.
According to Girton, the restaurant has 50+ employees, most of whom are women and queer people.
Girton says the goal in establishing the grill was to teach women and LGBTQ + people how to have a seat and a voice at the table.
The business quickly picked up speed, adding a nightclub component to meet the demand for LGBTQ + and allied communities in San Diego.
In addition to the cash grant, the HRC and Showtime awards include educational webinars and teaching modules that help manage various aspects of the grill’s operations, including financial management, search engine optimization, and social media marketing.
The companies hope that developing the modules will help LGBTQ + companies like Gossip Grill increase sales and meet the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
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