New Hope’s only dedicated LGBTQ+ destination isn’t going anywhere. The Cub Room has locked in a new five-year lease with New Hope Lodge Partners, owner Laura Sachs announced, guaranteeing the bar’s place in the borough for years to come, writes staff for Out In Jersey.
The lease renewal lands just as the New Hope Lodge embarks on a top-to-bottom renovation under its new ownership, one that will bring redesigned, upgraded guest rooms to the property. The Cub Room will stay open through all of it.
Plans for The Cub Room call for a new greenhouse-style dining room, additional restrooms, and a relocated kitchen designed to speed up service and widen the menu.
It’s a striking next chapter for a place that started small. Today, the bar serves as a full restaurant and cocktail destination, the kind of spot where regulars settle in for happy hour, stay for live music or a piano bar set, and circle back for the monthly tea dances.
The goal behind the renovations, Sachs said, is to upgrade the experience without losing the welcoming, low-key atmosphere that has turned The Cub Room into one of New Hope’s most-loved hangouts.
For Sachs, the lease is personal as much as it is practical. “This is not only an opportunity to preserve an important tradition, but also a responsibility that I take very seriously,” she said, describing the bar as a community gathering place and a safe haven.
For New Hope, the renewal is a two-for-one: an investment in a longtime community hub, and a commitment to protecting a vital piece of the borough’s LGBTQ+ history.
Learn more about the Cub Room and the New Hope bar’s recent lease renewal in Out In Jersey.
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