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
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]

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. [16]

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. "2025 Best of Portland Readers' Poll: Drink". Willamette Week. July 23, 2025. Retrieved October 2, 2025.