STLPR0%
The Grove’s bars fight back as St. Louis mayor pushes early closures during Pride weekend 26%
By Brian Munoz0%
6/23/2026, 4:09:21 PM
BS Summary: This article contains 32 faulty reasoning types, including Appeal to Emotion, Ambiguity (Equivocation), and Negativity Bias, with Appeal to Authority as the most egregious example at 17.4% saturation with 156 hits. Analysis detected 1,919 faulty-reasoning hits from 894 analyzed words, generating a BS Score of 37.9% and a BS Rank of 26% (15,304 of 20,454 articles). This article is better (less manipulative) than 74.80% of the article peer group.
Mayor Cara Spencer said last week that the bar owners agreed to close at midnight during this weekend’s Pride festivities, then walked back the statement days later after questions from St.
Louis Public Radio.
Multiple bar owners in the Grove say they are planning on staying open late this weekend, despite an announcement from St.
Louis Mayor Cara Spencer last week that they agreed to close at midnight during Pride celebrations.
“We are celebrating us being queer,” said John Arnold, who owns Just John.
“It’s [our] one weekend out of the year, and they’re trying to take it away from us.”
Spencer signed an executive order last week declaring a state of emergency and setting an overnight curfew for minors in the Forest Park Southeast neighborhood from 8 p.m.
Saturday to Monday morning.
St.
Louis PrideFest takes place in downtown St.
Louis, not in the Grove.
But the Grove is home to much of the city’s LGBTQ nightlife.
St.
Louis police will barricade a part of the Grove this weekend along Manchester Avenue between Boyle and Vandeventer avenues.
In a statement Thursday, Spencer said the measures were needed to prevent violence and referenced fights and shootings that broke out in the neighborhood following Pride festivities last year.
Several bar owners and LGBTQ community members pushed on the suggestion that the bars were somehow responsible for last year’s violence.
The city initially said businesses had agreed to close at midnight this year, but several bar owners later told St.
Louis Public Radio they never made such an agreement.
“No one really agreed to it,” Arnold said.
He noted that there was a meeting earlier this month that included city officials and police but said it didn’t conclude with any formal agreements.
Mitch McCoy, a spokesperson for the St.
Louis Metropolitan Police Department, said the department had not received official communication from the mayor’s office about the executive order beyond what had been reported in the media.
Bar owners and the mayor's office said the police department was involved in the planning.
“There's been no communication, no communication whatsoever,” said Chad Fox, the owner of Rehab Bar & Grill.
He noted planning for this year’s Pride crowds deteriorated compared to prior years.
“Not only is it costing us money, but it's just a smack in our face that you are going to decide what we're going to do on our celebration.”
Following the publishing of this story, mayoral spokesperson Rasmus Jorgensen dismissed Fox's claims and pointed to several meetings had between city officials and bar owners.
Tatyana Telnikova, the longtime owner of Handlebar and a Grove Community Improvement District board member, said bar owners have been in communication with City Hall for months.
But, she said that a later-than-normal start and a series of miscommunications — including a lack of communication about closing times and press statements — may have soured perspectives on the planning process.
"I think their heart is in the right place," Telnikova said of Spencer's administration.
"I think their communication could have been a lot better."
On Monday, Jorgensen walked back City Hall's initial statement and said the juvenile curfew had been imposed at the request of several Grove bar owners.
Fox confirmed bar owners had proposed a 1:30 a.m. close time to the liquor commission, along with a minor curfew to accommodate police staffing.
“Our understanding is that bars have voluntarily agreed to close their doors for new admissions at midnight and to send guests who are already inside [...] on their way at 1:30 a.m.,” said Jorgensen.
“Again, this is voluntary, and we greatly appreciate it.”
Fox addressed the city’s initial announcement Saturday night during Rehab’s popular weekly drag show.
"I'm going to tell you here, right now [...] we're going to stay open until we can't stay open no longer," he impassionately told the crowd, referencing a state law allowing bars to sell alcohol for up to 23 hours a day during the FIFA World Cup.
“We're going to celebrate because we're here, we're queer, and we're proud of it.”
Jorgensen further clarified Spencer’s position in a Monday night follow-up.
“It is important to note that the city cannot require bars to close early for a weekend, and the decision to do so is up to each bar,” he said.
“We are grateful to the bar owners who have agreed to take this step.”
Arnold contends police are seemingly making it the bars’ responsibility to control violence on public streets, while he said law enforcement should be responsible for safety on public thoroughfares.
Fox agreed, emphasizing that violence in previous years did not come from the bars’ patrons.
“Last year, all of the issues that were in the street had nothing to do with us,” he said.
“Our customers were lined up.
They were beautiful.
They were very respectful.
Everybody was peaceful.”
For now, the owners of Rehab Bar & Grill and Just John said they plan to operate as normal, though they will “play it by ear” and prioritize safety if problems arise.
“I’m not going to put anyone’s life in danger,” said Arnold.
“If the streets are a mess, then of course we’re going to close early.”
Update: This story has been updated to include comments from Handlebar owner Tatyana Telnikova and City Hall.
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97%flagged-word coverageChad Fox
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