Her Diner. 2004 18th St., NW Beloved Duplex Diner, known as the “gay Cheers” to its regulars, closed this summer after more than 25 years in Adams Morgan. Now, its longtime general manager, Kelly Laczko, and her wife, Kethida Laczko, are reviving the space as Her Diner, keeping alive the spirit of Duplex but with some fun changes—including a Beyoncé-themed bathroom. It’s aiming to open in October or November. “I know that space so well, and I love it, and it’s kind of a neighborhood gem and so many people love it. I wanted to make it a little bit more modern, but keep it a throw to the past,” Kelly Laczko says. “It’s very important for me to keep it as a queer space. We’re just a queer neighborhood bar that is welcoming to everyone.” Her Diner owners Kelly and Kethida Laczko. Photograph by Kurt Powers. Her Diner will be continuing traditions such as drag shows and keeping menu favorites, including meatloaf, pigs in a blanket, and tater tots. They’ll also be tweaking and expanding the menu of casual American diner fare with Salisbury steak and “breakfast for dinner” plates as well as specials like a fall kale salad or chicken tortilla soup. Kethida’s mother has supplied her popular eggroll recipe, and they’ve added plenty of vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options, too. Her Diner will continue serving Duplex Diner’s signature “squeezes,” which started as a boozy lemonades with muddled citrus but expanded to other flavors including orange, grapefruit, and strawberry. The diner is also bringing back milkshakes, including some boozy options, served in “old-timey” glasses. A cosmo at Her Diner. Photograph by Kurt Powers. Expect classic cocktails such as cosmos and negronis plus pitchers of mimosas or Aperol spritzes. They’ll have “She’s a Big Dill” pickle martinis and a pink Kamala Harris-inspired cocktail dubbed “We’re With Her” made with vodka, coconut milk, and strawberries—plus a green sugar rim. (The pink and green colors are a nod to Alpha Kappa Alpha, Harris’s sorority.) The Laczkos came up with the name “Her Diner” before Harris became the Democratic presidential nominee, but they’ve leaned into the VP’s “I’m With Her” messaging in their own social media branding. “I have no problem being political, especially in this election,” Laczko says. “We are obviously full force Kamala.” The Laczkos and interior designer Joe Ireland have given the space a colorful makeover with new padded diner-style bar stools and a retro (non-working) payphone with a neon sign above that says “Answer her.” “It was just kind of a cute throw to the old-school diners in the ’90s, like Saved by the Bell’s the Max,” Laczko says. A divas collage fills the back of the bar at Her Diner. Photograph by Kurt Powers. At Duplex Diner, one bathroom was devoted to Madonna and another themed around “divas.” Her Diner has repurposed a lot of the diva art behind the bar, and the owners worked with local artists to give the Madonna restroom a facelift while turning the other a BeyHive shrine to Beyoncé—both of which will play music from the artists inside. The Laczkos walked down the aisle at their wedding to Beyoncé and the lyric “I live so I can die with you” is posted on the wall. “I wanted to keep it what it is, but just make it ours,” Laczko says.The post Her Diner Will Carry On the “Gay Cheers” Spirit of Duplex Diner first appeared on Washingtonian.