Doc Marie's

Last updated

Doc Marie's
Doc Marie's logo.png
Portland, Oregon (July 23, 2022) - 69.jpg
The bar's exterior, 2022
Doc Marie's
Interactive map of Doc Marie's
Restaurant information
Established2022 (2022)
ClosedOctober 31, 2025 (2025-10-31)
Owners
  • Olga Bichko
  • Nikki Ferry
Location203 Southeast Grand Avenue, Portland, Multnomah, Oregon, 97214, United States
Coordinates 45°31′17″N122°39′40″W / 45.5214°N 122.6610°W / 45.5214; -122.6610
Website docmaries.com

Doc Marie's was a lesbian and LGBTQ-friendly bar in Portland, Oregon, United States. [1] Established in 2022, it closed permanently in October 2025.

Contents

Description and history

Doc Marie's was a lesbian and LGBTQ-friendly bar in the Osborn Hotel building in southeast Portland's Buckman neighborhood. [2] [3] Owned by Olga Bichko and Nikki Ferry, the business was named after Marie Equi, a lesbian described by Brooke Jackson-Glidden of Eater Portland as "one of Oregon's fiercest champions for labor and women's rights". The business operated as Portland's only lesbian bar, [4] [5] in a space that previously housed Elvis Room. [6]

In March 2022, Eater Portland described plans for the bar to open in May. [6] Doc Marie's began operating on July 1, but closed the following day after two managers resigned and other employees created a worker cooperative. According to Shane Dixon Kavanaugh of The Oregonian , the workers "demanded the bar's owners turn the business over to them, writing on Instagram that they felt 'misled about the space being safe and welcoming.'" [7] The conflict was picked up by Libs of TikTok, a popular conservative Twitter account, resulting in threats directed at the owners and former employees. The bar reopened on August 13, 2022. [8] [9] [10]

Owl was the kitchen manager. [11] The bar closed permanently on October 31 (Halloween), 2025. [12] [13] [14] [15] The business posted on social media, "This has been a devastating year for small businesses and for our community, and we don't have the finances to keep our doors open." [16]

Reception

Doc Marie's was a finalist in the Best LGBTQIA+ Bar category of Willamette Week 's annual 'Best of Portland' readers' poll in 2025. [17] Portland Monthly described the bar's closure as "another blow to the city's already struggling queer bar scene". [18]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Leon, Kat (May 4, 2022). "Queer community reacts to Portland's new lesbian bar". Portland State Vanguard . Portland State University. Archived from the original on August 12, 2022. Retrieved August 12, 2022.
  2. ↑ "Portland goes out of its way to recognize LGBTQ community". Bay Area Reporter. Retrieved October 2, 2025.
  3. ↑ Piccoli, Dana (May 12, 2022). "Spaces for queer women experience a renaissance in Portland, Oregon". News Is Out. Retrieved February 20, 2023.
  4. ↑ Jankowski, Andrew (April 19, 2022). "New Portland LGBTQ Bar Stands Proud on Old Town's Bro-iest Block". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on June 30, 2022. Retrieved August 12, 2022.
  5. ↑ Gallivan, Joseph (April 29, 2022). "The Sports Bra breaks down bar barrier". Portland Tribune. Pamplin Media Group. Archived from the original on May 27, 2022. Retrieved August 12, 2022.
  6. 1 2 Jackson-Glidden, Brooke (March 31, 2022). "Portland's Only Self-Defined Lesbian Bar Will Arrive This Spring". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on August 12, 2022. Retrieved August 12, 2022.
  7. ↑ Shane Dixon, Kavanaugh (August 10, 2022). "How a Portland 'lesbian bar for everyone' closed after one day". The Oregonian . Archived from the original on August 12, 2022. Retrieved August 12, 2022.
  8. ↑ Wong, Janey (August 12, 2022). "Lesbian Bar Doc Marie's Is Reopening Following Its Troubled Start". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on August 12, 2022. Retrieved August 12, 2022.
  9. ↑ De Dios, Austin (December 26, 2022). "Top 10 most-read news stories of 2022 from The Oregonian/OregonLive". The Oregonian. Retrieved April 14, 2023.
  10. ↑ "UPDATED: Here Are the Final 27 Surviving Lesbian Bars In the U.S." Out Traveler. October 12, 2022. Retrieved April 14, 2023.
  11. ↑ Hilton, Thom (July 18, 2024). "Meet the Cooks Redefining What It Means to Eat at Portland's Queer Bars". Eater Portland. Retrieved October 2, 2025.
  12. ↑ "Lesbian Bar Doc Marie's Will Close on Halloween". Willamette Week. October 1, 2025. Retrieved October 2, 2025.
  13. ↑ Pettigrew, Jashayla (October 1, 2025). "Portland lesbian bar will shutter this month, adding to list of LGBTQ+ business closures". KOIN.
  14. ↑ Nocera, Veronica (October 1, 2025). "Portland's only lesbian bar will close this month". The Oregonian. Retrieved October 2, 2025.
  15. ↑ Guzman, Dianne de (October 30, 2025). "Portland's Last Lesbian Bar Doc Marie's Closes on Halloween". Eater Portland. Retrieved October 30, 2025.
  16. ↑ Russell, Michael (November 4, 2025). "Portland restaurant closures: 39-year-old Italian spot, 35-year-old taqueria, many neighborhood bars". The Oregonian. Retrieved November 4, 2025.
  17. ↑ "2025 Best of Portland Readers' Poll: Drink". Willamette Week. July 23, 2025. Retrieved October 2, 2025.
  18. ↑ "The Richmond Bar Has Closed Permanently". Portland Monthly. Retrieved November 17, 2025.
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