Save Afro-Latino Woman-owned Kirvens Bar
MAY 2021 UPDATE:
I opened Kirvens, an Afro-Latina owned, POC-staffed bar committed to bringing quality and diversity to an underserved neighborhood in the Bronx, in 2018.
In the years since, Kirvens has brought craft beer, artisanal cocktails, food, live music, LGBT events, specials for teachers and first responders, and a much-needed community space for adults in the Pelham Parkway/Morris Park area. Locals have embraced us with open arms, and we love our community.
Like most small businesses, we were devastated by the COVID pandemic and the restrictions placed on dining and nightlife. But spring is here, and with your help and support, we’ve turned a corner in some ways, though the fight has left us struggling—and it’s not over yet.
The first piece of good news is that our local community board gave approval for us to be open until 4am, 7 days a week, as soon as Gov. Cuomo lifts the city curfew.
More good news: Lt. Michael J. Verbrugge of the 49th Precinct, who targeted Kirvens in a pattern of aggressions (slanderous statements, malicious surprise inspections, charges for frivolous infractions) was transferred out of the nightlife division, then out of the department entirely. Deputy Inspector Andrew Natiw, Commanding Officer of the 49th Precinct, wrote a letter of recommendation calling me “a value and an asset to the community” who “has the support of the NYPD.”
Kirvens still needs your help! Our fines, while negotiated down significantly, still total around $20,000. The legal battles surrounding them have left me with major legal debt, and we need to hire attorneys to sue Lt. Verbrugge and others who participated in the targeted harassment.
As we ask for your help to build back to normal, and invite you to enjoy our outdoor dining structure or our limited indoor service, we’re introducing the Kirvens 1920 Sour, a fruit-infused sour IPA brewed in collaboration with local Gun Hill Brewing Co.
The story of Kirvens is a multicultural one, and the Kirvens 1920 Sour is inspired by my maternal grandmother, whose photo appears on the can. Her resilience as a woman from a mixed background—whose married name adorns the sign outside my bar—has been an inspiration through these difficult times. With your help, we’ll get through them and give back to our community for a long time to come. Thank you!