Sapphic Speakeasy Pearl Divers Opening Soon in Capitol Hill

Capitol Hill venue Your Mom's House is celebrating its eighth anniversary this weekend — and it's about to hit a growth spurt. Not only is owner James Bedwell opening a new pizza place, Tua Mama's, next door in the spot where Benny Blanco's used to be, but he's also tapped Jillian Johnson of Nofux Punk Presents to start booking punk, metal and indie-rock bands in the previously EDM-dominated room.

But the biggest evolutionary leap at Your Mother's House doesn't directly involve Bedwell at all. Instead, he's sharing a third of the club's floor space with two entrepreneurs who are turning it into Pearl Divers, a bar within a bar.

"It was bromance at first sight," Dom Garcia says of her initial meeting with her business partner, Ashlee Cassity. Together they own Pearl Divers at 608 East 13th Avenue, which will hold its grand opening on Sunday, December 1. "She's strong in all the areas that I'm not, and I did the same for her."

Garcia had never owned a bar before, but she was spurred by necessity to launch Pearl Divers. On October 5, Blush & Blu — Denver's last surviving lesbian bar, one of only a handful left across the country and the focus of some controversy in recent years — closed its doors on East Colfax after serving the LGBTQ+ community for 28 years. Garcia, who co-owns Sinners Hair + Nails on South Broadway with her wife, Anne, saw a need to be filled...but with a more inclusive spot.

"So I thought, why not me? Why don't I open a bar?" Garcia says. "I posted in the LGBTQ Denver Facebook group about opening a bar, and if anybody was interested in partnering with me, they should let me know."

Cassity answered the call. A veteran of the hospitality industry who currently works as a food and beverage manager for downtown hotel Slate, she had long entertained the idea of running her own establishment: "Making menus, running bars, building concepts, that's in my wheelhouse," she notes.

When Garcia found out from a friend that Bedwell was interested in surrendering a chunk of space inside Your Mother's House — with a capacity of around 100 people — for an independently owned and operated lounge, she and Cassity made their move. The idea came together quickly: It's going to be speakeasy-themed since it's tucked off to the side of an established venue, and it's going to have a tiki vibe.

"We call it a speak-tiki," Garcia says. As whimsical as that sounds, the concept has a deeper resonance for the owners. Garcia has roots in Laos, and Cassity has roots in the Pacific Islands. "That culture resonates deeply with me," Garcia adds, "and the same with Ashlee."

Pearl Divers' menu aims to match the bar's retro, cabana-like decor. Cassity's list of custom cocktails and mocktails is awash in rum, tequila and tropical tang, and the bar will also offer a special food menu courtesy of Tua Mama's Pizzeria. As Garcia explains, "Our big thing was that we want to have some Polynesian flavors in there, but we don't just want typical Hawaiian pizza with pineapple and ham. We want really complex flavors on our pizza, like sesame and teriyaki."

Just as important to Garcia and Cassity is an atmosphere of acceptance. They're proud to declare Pearl Divers a Sapphic establishment. Says Cassity, "I also wanted to create a safe space where Black people, brown people, queer people, whether you're lesbian, gay, trans, whatever, can come and feel welcome. Straight people and allies, too. And that's one of the reasons I was so willing to partner with Dom. We have that same vision."

A long wall with one door completely separates Pearl Divers from Your Mom's House, but Garcia and Cassity plan to collaborate with Bedwell on crossover events in the future — everything from dance parties to drag shows to burlesque.

For now, though, the priority is Pearl Divers' grand opening. The owners have high hopes that they can fill the void for a lesbian bar, but also create a welcoming bar for the greater community. "We want Pearl Divers to be a neighborhood spot for everyone, but I also know that people are going to travel to come to this," Garcia concludes. "You get to go somewhere where you're around like-minded people, and you feel safe and you feel good."

For more information, follow Pearl Divers on Instagram @pearldiversdenver.

This story has been updated.