New Woodsweather Cafe will open next month in the Northland
Four years ago, restaurateurs John and Joanne Cuezze purchased the iconic Woodswether Cafe in the West Bottoms. In a few weeks, they’ll open a new outpost of the popular diner, Woodsweather II, with partner Tony Civella in an unexpected location: 2510 N.E. Vivion Road. The two-story building, currently painted a shade of cafe au lait, isn’t exactly eye-catching from the street, but for years it was home to a series of nightclubs, most recently Wetherbee’s.
I don’t know if Wetherbee’s was ever officially a gay bar, but it was definitely gay-ish. “The bar’s owner was straight, but it was definitely gay,” says Camp magazine publisher John Long. “The only gay bar in the Northland.”
But prior to Wetherbee’s, this building had many more colorful — and straight — past lives. Tony Civella can rattle off many of the names: Hello Dolly’s, Taco Pete’s, Shenanigans, to name a few. There’s still a shiny dance floor in the 100-seat dining room, and John Cuezze says customers at Woodweather II will probably be dancing on it. Just not during the breakfast and lunch shifts.
