California Cocktail Lounge Supporting LGBTQ+ Community Targeted by Arsonist

A California cocktail lounge has been the victim of increasingly dangerous acts of vandalism, and the lounge fears the acts may be because of the club’s strong support of the local LGBTQ+ community.

Sorry Not Sorry in the Sawtelle neighborhood of Los Angeles has had swastikas and the words “AIDS” painted on or near its property, as well as burglaries and other acts of vandalism in the past several months. The most recent act came on the evening of Friday, August 25, when someone slashed the tires and set ablaze three cars belonging to employees.

“I am disheartened to tell you about an incident at Sorry Not Sorry. Last Friday at a well-attended burlesque show, an arsonist slashed the tires of three employees’ vehicles, doused the vehicles with fuel, and set them on fire,” Sorry Not Sorry’s chef Kim Vu, posted to social media. “This occurred behind the fence of our back patio, just a few feet away from our DK, the performers, and our guests. No one was hurt, but there was extensive property damage.”

“The scariest part is that one car was next to our propane tank cage,” Brandon Waller, Sorry Not Sorry’s general manager told local ABC affiliate KABC. “A few more minutes, and that actually could have been a very catastrophic fatal event.”

The restaurant has been in rough waters financially this year, with rising operating expenses leaving it in the red at the end of each month, Vu posted to social media. The recent vandalism is forcing the business to make tough choices about its future. For now, Sorry Not Sorry is asking for help from the community not in the form of handouts, but by visiting.

“We would love for you to come in for some hand-crafted drinks and fresh-made foods, but what we really need is for you to share our business with large groups of people,” Vu wrote. “We need your support to be viral!”

Vu also made clear Sorry Not Sorry’s support of the LGBTQ+ community will remain strong.

“I intend for Sorry Not Sorry to contribute to its community for decades to come,” Vu posted.

Waller noted the possibility of a connection between Sorry Not Sorry’s strong allyship with the LGBTQ+ community and anti-LGBTQ+ hatred on the part of the perpetrator.

“We don’t honestly know, but it is impossible not to make the correlation between the two,” Waller said.