Union Cafe continues to provide safe space for LGBT community

Justin Howard
Wed, 16 Jun 2021 23:43:09 +0000
Arts & Life, food & drink, Instagram Page, News, arts, arts and life, bar, bartender, cafe, cbus, charitable contributions, charity, Columbus, Columbus Ohio, diongelo smith, food, food and drink, gay bar, june, lahoti, lgbt, lgbt bar, LGBTQ, lgbtq bar, LGBTQ community, life, Ohio, ohio state, ohio state university, old union, open window bar, open windows [and 9 more]

Union Cafe’s two gay pride flags represent cafe owner Rajesh Lahoti’s desire to create a welcoming environment. Credit: Justin Howard | Lantern Reporter

After years of longing for judgment-free workplaces and communities around Columbus, Rajesh Lahoti said he decided to create his own safe space by opening Union Cafe.

Lahoti, owner and founder of the restaurant, said Union Cafe was one of Columbus’ first LGBT bars and the third LGBT bar in the country with open windows to the street, despite the risk that often came with being an openly gay establishment at the time. He said his goal for the cafe is to provide a chance for the LGBT community to thrive in a common location without having to worry about a judgmental or unwelcoming environment.

“People come here and meet people,” Lahoti said. “You can be with your peers and feel welcomed. We provide a place you can go and feel connected — whatever you are feeling, we are there for you.”

In 1996, then-25-year-old Lahoti decided to make the switch from being the No. 1 consultant in Ohio to opening Union Cafe. He said his previous workplace — a large banking and insurance firm — failed to properly reward his skill and hard work, so he left the workplace to create a welcoming environment of his own.

“I was working 70 hours a week on average, and the people above me are working 45 hours a week and golfing,” Lahoti said. “It should’ve been based on aptitude. I got upset. I felt being gay and not being white was hurting me. I would’ve had to go pick up a golf club and walk a golf course to get where I wanted.”

Lahoti said he opened Union Cafe spontaneously with some help from a friend after he decided to redirect his long work weeks.

“If I am going to work that many hours, I want it to be for me,” Lahoti said. “One of my hairdressers, who was my roommate and a great drag queen, used to shoot pool at the Old Union, and she introduced me to the manager, and one thing led to another and I ended up opening Union Cafe on a total whim.”

Lahoti said persistent discrimination throughout society has always motivated him to create change through his organization. He said he decided early-on that he wanted to make an impact through activism.

Union Cafe has made contributions to anti-bullying charities, distributed scholarships and raised over $1.5 million through the cafe and Lahoti’s other venues to distribute to an array of local charities, he said.?

“Me and my partners learned to always give back to charity, buy your land and be as much an activist as you are a businessman,” Lahoti said. “Union Cafe has had a massive impact, not just in the state of Ohio, but it is known as a friendly safe haven in that if charities need funding, we will be there for you.”

Tristan Huck, a bartender for Union Cafe, said his work at the bar has allowed him to understand the significance the establishment holds for the LGBT population in Columbus.

“I think it is important to have these kinds of places because LGBTQ people need a place to go,” Huck said. “It feels good to be a part of the community, helping out in some type of way.”

Diongelo Smith, a recently hired chef at the bar, said food will always bring individuals closer, whether or not they are a part of the LGBT community, and he said Union Cafe welcomes patrons from all walks of life.

“Food breaks all the boundaries,” Smith said. “It’s a way that people get together to celebrate, laugh and have fun, no matter what your background is.”?

The Union Cafe is located at 782 N. High St. and is open every day from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., according to the Union Cafe Facebook page.