LBM (12301 Madison Ave., 216-712-4692), the neighborhood cocktail bar with a Viking spirit, will close its doors on October 10. That date happens to be the 9th anniversary of the bar’s earliest days in business.
With six weeks to go, it gives fans of the one-of-a-kind watering hole a chance to roll through to say goodbye and thank you to staffers, both present and previous, who will be making guest appearances until the end.
“We knew that if a situation like this ever arose we wanted to give LBM a proper send off by giving our wonderful staff and our amazing guests an actual notice and time to say goodbye and get our affairs in order,” says owner Eric Ho. “We never want to be in a situation where we realized we should’ve closed last week.”
The catalysts behind the closure were financial, says Ho.
“Basically we were up for lease renewal and the insurance requirements were raised where the increased premiums and potential risks to us due to a dial back in coverage wasn’t going to make operating sustainable anymore.”
The future is unclear, for the bar and its people, but for now the focus is on giving LBM the tribute and send off it deserves.
“We have no plans to relocate or rebrand,” Ho says. “That feels weird to have LBM anywhere else. Another concept is possible but it’s all still ideas in our heads and we mainly want to focus on sending off LBM respectfully.”
Nine years of doing things their own way, while doing so with passion, excellence and a generosity of spirit that truly welcomed all, is a legacy that every bar should strive for. LBM will be missed.
“We’re really proud of what we’ve accomplished and are truly grateful to everyone who’s come through our doors,” says Ho. “Don’t cheers us too hard because we’re all in our mid-late 30s and 40s now.”
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