ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Vers Bar will soon open in Nob Hill, adding a new gay bar to the city as its owners say Albuquerque’s LGBTQ+ community wanted more space.

KOB 4 got a preview before the opening and spoke with owners Lucas Romero and Luke Rogers outside the new bar.

Romero and Rogers said Albuquerque right now has only two gay bars and one gay club, fewer than other cities its size and fewer than the city used to have.

“We put a lot of love and effort into this space and put a lot of love and effort into the community. And I think when you bring those two things together, I think we have something really special for Albuquerque,” Romero said.

“Coming out of COVID. We realized that there was an opportunity or a need for people in the queer community to have a space, and so we hosted this mixer. We called it friends of Dorothy,” Rogers said.

They said those quarterly meetups at different bars across Albuquerque eventually drew close to 400 people and helped show demand for a permanent space.

“We were like, well, hold on. Is this our proof of concept for possibly a gay bar?” Romero said.

The couple found the former Albuquerque Distilling location on Central early last year and renovated it into a bar and lounge. They also leased the suite next door for a dance floor and event space.

They said social media posts about the project built interest beyond New Mexico, but they created Verse Bar with local customers in mind.

“To many of us in the gay community, having a gay bar or a strong queer culture is really important.” Rogers said.

Verse Bar will officially open to the public next weekend. Romero and Rogers said they plan a soft opening this weekend to test equipment and make sure staff are ready.