Freddie’s Beach Bar receives support from Barstool Sports COVID-19 Relief Fund

Freddie’s Beach Bar receives support from Barstool Sports COVID-19 Relief Fund

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Barstool Sports’ COVID-19 aid fund is helping to maintain the longtime Freddie’s Beach Bar and Restaurant in Crystal City.

The LGBTQ-friendly bar at 555 23rd Street S., known for its Sunday brunches and drag queen shows, is one of nearly 40 companies so far to get help from the fun online media company. The fund has raised over $ 9 million from around 78,000 supporters since Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy officially released on December 17th.

“Dave, you are a godsend,” co-owner Rich Lutz told Portnoy in a FaceTime call today (Tuesday). “It’s very, very special to see your face in my kitchen right now.”

Portnoy appeared on Tucker Carlson’s Fox News program last week to talk about the Barstool Fund, which is how Lutz says he learned about the program. The team “ran” to put together a video telling the story of the bar, he told Barstool via email.

Since opening in March 2001, Freddie’s has remained the only gay bar in Northern Virginia, co-owner Freddie Lutz told Barstool Fund in his funding speech. The community meeting place is known as a safe space for gay military men and also attracts families for Sunday brunch after church.

“I don’t know of a bar more diverse and welcoming than Freddie’s,” he said.

The brothers keep the restaurant open every holiday to ensure that everyone has “a family meal” and make an annual toy trip.

So far, the brothers have managed to keep the lights on and their 25 employees on the payroll. At one point, Amazon purchased 1,753 meals from the restaurant, which were donated to the Virginia Hospital Center. Instead of trying to fulfill the entire order on his own, Freddie distributed it to a dozen nearby restaurants – an act that “gave life, energy and activity to the independent restaurants that make up the core of 23rd Street”.

Still, Freddie’s was on the verge of closing recently.

“Like so many others, Freddie’s is struggling and about to close,” Freddie told Barstool.

During his call with Rich, Portnoy praised the history of the bar and restaurant.

“It was a no-brainer,” he said. “We saw the video and knew immediately that we wanted to help.”

Rich couldn’t thank the founder of Barstool Sports and the media personality enough.

“With all the terrible things that are happening in the world right now, breathing fresh air like you is just wonderful,” he said. “I just hope that when everything opens, you will come and visit us.”

Barstool Sports did not reveal the amount of money Freddie’s would receive, and the Lutz were not immediately available for comment.

Barstool Sports writer and host Pat McAuliffe praised Portnoy’s choice in a blog post about Freddie’s.

“I could go on and on about how bars like Freddie’s are important to the LGBTQ community, but I won’t,” he said. “Instead, I will give THIS LINK to donate and help more companies like Freddie’s across the country.

Barstool Fund started with $ 500,000 of funds from the media company and has since raised nearly 20 times that amount through donations and merchandise sales.

Companies qualify if owners continue to pay their employees, despite struggling to remain open. Portnoy has promised recurring relief for the selected companies, so that, instead of delaying the inevitable closure, companies have a chance to survive the post-pandemic.

“We will do this throughout the life of this thing,” said Portnoy on Carlson’s show.

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