Rikki’s, a 21+ gay bar, opened at 1630 Payne Avenue in 1975. Rikki’s was described as a “small, intimate club with a clean, well-lit interior.” Rikki’s contained a “dance floor, a 90-foot-long bar, [and] a jukebox encased in a floor stereo.” Rikki’s patrons could dance while enjoying live entertainment, disco music spun by DJs, and “go-go boys every weekend.” Rikki’s closed in late 1975 and reopened as Zanzibar in 1976.
Additional information coming soon.
Resources
- “Constance Comments.” High Gear. July 1975. Page 16.
- Nosek, John, and Leon Stevens. “Gay Community 1970s.” Encyclopedia of Cleveland History.
- “Rikki’s Plans Halloween Bash.” High Gear. October 1975. Page 8.
- Unger, Ray. “Rikki’s: Another New Bar Toasts Cleveland.” High Gear. July 1975. Page 1.