Universal Fruit & Nut Company (Sandusky Ohio Gay Bar/1977-1998) vintage Wakefield Poole Held during the height of

Held during the height of the late-’80s leather scene

emotional ballads

it became a kind of unofficial gateway to Cherry Grove and the Pines: the place where everyone met for a drink before catching the boat or unwinding after a weekend of sun and salt air

1997 Pride in Buffalo carried that late-’90s momentum—bigger crowds

the unassuming building became one of the Midwest's most important early LGBTQ+ gathering places

Universal Fruit & Nut Company (Sandusky Ohio Gay Bar/1977-1998) vintage Wakefield Poole Held during the height ofUniversal Fruit & Nut Company Sandusky, OH With a name that was equal parts joke and badge of honor, the Universal Fruit & Nut Company became one of the Midwest's most beloved gay barsand an unexpected cultural landmark in small town Ohio. Located at 2112 Cleveland Road in Sandusky, the building originally opened as The Surf, a stylish mid century cocktail lounge before finding a second life as the Universal Fruit & Nut Company. During the 1980s and