INDIANAPOLIS — The Bar & Restaurant Expo named a longtime staple in Indianapolis' LGBTQ community as the nation's best in 2022.
Downtown Olly's was announced "LGBTQ Venue of the Year" at the Industry Excellence Awards in Las Vegas on Wednesday.
Downtown Olly's, located at 822 N. Illinois St., has served the Indianapolis community for 20 years. The 24/7 restaurant and bar offers a wide variety of LGBTQ-focused entertainment while serving food and drinks.
According to the Bar & Restaurant Expo, a prime event for the hospitality industry, the LGBTQ Venue of the Year is chosen based on "exceptional hospitality, creativity, and service, while championing the LGBTQ community."
Adam Goble, the general manager at Downtown Olly's, accepted the award in Las Vegas on behalf of Downtown Olly's on Wednesday night. They stated, in part, the following in a release to WRTV:
“Downtown Olly’s would not have survived the [past] 20 years of service had it not been for the many venues like Gregs 'Our Place,' Zonies Closet, and Metro along with numerous spaces no longer with us. Indianapolis’s SOGI community has thrived because we have a strong community of venues that have given us safe spaces to find our truest selves. (Downtown) Olly’s has been a focal point where people gather in the after-hours and come together to celebrate being their most authentic selves.”
Goble, also known as Lola Palooza, went on to state that venues don't have to be titled a gay bar to be a safe place for the LGBTQ and SOGI (Sexual Orientation, Gender, & Identity) communities.
"This is the crowning achievement to launch Downtown Olly’s into their 20th year of service," Goble wrote, "and is the perfect intro into our 2022 season of outdoor entertainment in their Backyard, outdoor patio/venue."
