Little Ted’s Restaurant and Bar opened at 304 Superior Avenue in 1944. Little Ted’s, owned by Ted Miclau, was a gay-friendly establishment. Unlike the better-known Cadillac Lounge, Little Ted’s implemented a relatively “informal” set of rules regarding patron’s dress and conduct inside the bar. Though Little Ted’s maintained a “suit and tie” dress code, its basement bar was one of few businesses in Cleveland during the 1940s where gay men were able to publicly congregate, cruise, and gather together in public. According to one High Gear reviewer, Little Ted’s was purportedly a haven for “shady characters” and “shakedown artists.” This claim was later disputed by Little Ted’s manager, Bob Leesburg. Leesburg later went on to operate The Vaults alongside Vaults’ owner Mary Norman. Little Ted’s Restaurant closed in 1955.
Additional information coming soon.
Resources
- Codger. “The Cleveland Bar Scene – Thirty Years Ago.” High Gear. March 1977. Page 26.
- Leesburg, Bob, and Mary Norman. “Coat and Tie.” High Gear. June 1977. Page 6.
- Matuszak, Madison. “Little Ted’s Restaurant and Bar: The Lost Little Hole in the Wall.” Cleveland Historical.
- Negron, Sidney. “Gay Bars in Cleveland.” Encyclopedia of Cleveland History.