Two years after opening on Salt Lake City’s main thoroughfare, the LGBTQ+ bar Club Verse announced it has “made the difficult decision to permanently close” its doors.
The venue at 609 S. State St. posted a statement on their Instagram account Wednesday night, detailing the decision. The statement was signed by the co-owners, couple Riley Richter and Michael Repp, along with the Club Verse Team.
“It is with the heaviest of hearts and deepest sadness that we announced the indefinite closure of Club Verse,” the statement begins. “Due to circumstances beyond our control — both personal and financial — we have made the difficult decision to permanently close our doors.”
In early August, according to an earlier Instagram post, Richter experienced a “significant medical emergency.” Since then, Richter has been recovering, and the bar’s social media accounts have been keeping the community apprised of his progress and condition. In Wednesday night’s statement, Richter and Repp shared they have relocated to Colorado so Richter can receive treatment at a brain injury clinic.
“This move is a necessary step for [Richter’s] recovery,” the statement said.
Club Verse has become a safe space and place of gathering for many in the LGBTQ community in Utah. On its opening day two years ago, the bar welcomed around 1,600 visitors. Back then, Repp told The Salt Lake Tribune, “The only way you can create a safe space is to actually listen to your community at large about what they need.”
Since opening, the bar has hosted many community-centered events, including an annual Thanksgiving tradition. In 2022, after a deadly shooting at an LGBTQ bar in Colorado, Utahns gathered at Club Verse to be with their community.
Club Verse was born after a bitter ownership dispute and lawsuit in 2022 over the landmark Salt Lake City LGBTQ+ bar The Sun Trapp, which Richter used to manage. The dispute left that bar’s patrons and 13 employees in limbo. When Verse opened, it employed seven of those 13.
Since then, The Sun Trapp has continued to run on and off, with new ownership reopening the bar in June. The Sun Trapp is one of a remaining handful of LGBTQ+ bars in Salt Lake; others include Club Try-Angles, Why Kiki and MILK+.
Richter and Repp’s statement ends with, “Leaving behind the incredible community that has supported us with so much warmth, strength and love is truly heartbreaking. Salt Lake City will always be home and we look forward to returning one day to share our journey with all of you.”
