Popular LGBTQ+ bar reopens in northeast Minneapolis

Driving along East Hennepin Avenue in northeast Minneapolis, you might not notice it right away but there’s a new tenant in town.

The former, popular nightclub Honey is now home to Jetset Underground.

“It was kind of a lot of pressure because everyone’s like ‘Honey’s great,'” said Peter Kirihara.

He and Susan Liesch are the new owners of the gay restaurant and bar Jetset Underground. But Kirihara and Jetset are no strangers to Minneapolis. He was a pioneer in the North Loop district, opening three major businesses — Moose and Sadie’s, Bev’s Wine Bar and Jetset.

In 2017, former Minneapolis mayor Betsy Hodges even declared Aug. 29 Peter Kirihara Day for all his hard work building up the North Loop.

“The fact that back then all three were still thriving, they just thought it was cool just the small kid from Bloomington was just kind of doing his thing and thriving,” Kirihara said.

That’s why it was a hard hit when Kirihara had to close down Jetset in 2018.

“We closed because the North Loop got super hot, so everyone who owned buildings sold their buildings,” he said. “They all cashed out.”

But now “Jetsetters” have a new home across the river, and it may look more familiar than you think.

“We saved everything that we could, and we used everything that we could from the old Jetset,” he said. “We have our original couches. And then, of course, our globes right here, which are also in the entryway.”

Kirihara just hopes to grow with the community and open his doors to all.

“Predominantly, it was a bar for gay men, and so now we’re hoping to really expand on, you know, transgender and women and non-binary, so hopefully it will be all-inclusive, more of that,” he said.

The venue is now open Wednesdays through Saturdays.