CommunityInterviewsNightlife

Meet Peter Mohr, the owner of Rochester’s oldest gay bar, The Bachelor Forum

Kyle Jackson

The Bachelor Forum is the oldest gay owned and operated bar in Rochester, New York. As a landmark in the community and a safe space for LGBTQ people in Rochester, the bar hosts lots of events throughout the year.

I grabbed.a chat with the owner, Peter Mohr, to discuss his work at the Bachelor Forum over the years, and what we can expect for his new business.

Peter Mohr
Kyle Jackson: The Bachelor Forum is Rochester’s oldest owned and operated gay bar. How long have you been with the business and what are some of your favorite experiences over the years.

Peter Mohr: I have been in the business for over 30 years. In the 90s, I worked at the Spike in NYC as a door person. (Yep, the 90’s) What a time! This was at the peak of the AIDS epidemic, so I saw and lost many, many friends. I have worked at many Rochester bars, including the Avenue Pub (which I just purchased) Muthers, Club Marcells, and the Bachelor Forum.  I’ve been here since 1999 and purchased the bar in 2008.

Bachelor Forum
KJ: What types of events do you usually host at the Bachelor Forum? Anything interesting coming up?

PM: We have a lot of different event: 1st Saturday of the month is our Bear Night, which we do different themed nights; 2nd Saturday of the month we host a PUP Night also different themed; 3rd Saturday of the month we host or Leather Night again different themed nights; And then we do different themed events on other nights, along with Karaoke every Thursday.

KJ: Can you tell us as much as you can about the new business, where it will be located and what people can expect?

PM: On December 1, 2022, I purchased The Avenue Pub. Located at 520 Monroe Avenue. The Avenue Pub is the second oldest gay bar in Rochester. It’s the Cheer’s Bar of Rochester. “Where everyone knows your name.”

KJ: What are some of the things you would like to see happen at your new business? 

PM: The Avenue Pub is the oldest gay bar at its original spot. Gary Sweet the original owner passed away eight years ago, and his family ran it till this past December. We are remodeling and hope to return it to its hay day. We serve food and Katie our chef was nominated for BEST FISH FRY by the Democrat and Chronicle. I hope to get our dance floor back and focus on an older crowd, as we need a place to go. Yes, I am speaking about myself too.

KJ: Does the Bachelor Forum do anything for Rochester Pride? Will you be participating this year? 

PM: Yes, Rochester has a great Gay Pride. We celebrate the third week in July. This year it will be held on July 15th weekend, with other events going on in July    Rochesterpride.com 

KJ: Where can our readers find out more about what’s going on? 

PM: We can be found: bachelor4m.com, and on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. The Avenue Pub can be found at avepubroc.com, and (coming soon) @avepubroc on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Also, come join us in Rochester where we have the best of all seasons! In winter, there’s skiing, snowmobiling, and all the other great things. In summer, we have the Finger Lakes (great wine country) and Lake Ontario. 

We have it all — Great food and festivals all summer long! We are only a 3 hours drive from Toronto, Canada, one hour from Buffalo/Niagara Falls, one hour by air from NYC, and 1.5 hours (air) from Chicago.

Kyle Jackson

Kyle Jackson (He/Him) is Senior Staff Writer at Gray Jones Media, and additionally works as a writer, editor and theatre artist/actor. A native of New Orleans, Louisiana, he studied at Dillard University, received a BA in Theatre from Morgan State University, an MS in Arts Administration from Drexel University, and completed the British American Drama Academy’s Midsummer in Oxford Programme in 2017. Having lived in Baltimore, the Washington, DC area, Philadelphia and New York City, he now resides and works in London, United Kingdom.