‘It still really feels like home.’ Chumley’s renovations honor history of State College gay bar

While many restaurants around Centre County were simply attempting to survive a pandemic over much of 2020, Chumley’s in downtown State College was busy preparing for a bigger, brighter future. As a member of Hotel State College & Company, Chumley’s, along with its sister restaurants and bars, received new leadership in early 2020, as new owners came on the scene.

“The new owners took over ... at the very beginning of 2020 and we really didn’t know what direction they’d go in right away, so when the pandemic started, we were really unsure about our future,” Chumley’s general manager Ellen Braun said. “Pretty quickly, they made some decisions about improving the place. The whole year, we were invested in making the changes and the owners were particularly interested in honoring the history of Chumley’s and keeping the LGBTQA connections and cultivating, for the future, the sense of community we’ve always had.”

Chumley’s remained closed from just after Penn State’s spring break in March 2020 and only reopened recently, in April, revealing a larger footprint, upgraded decor and a brand-new food and drink menu. The changes are visible as soon as customers walk in the door.

“The place is a little bit bigger, but it looks a lot bigger,” Braun said, noting the larger entrance’s extra window and more open doorway. “The entryway is a lot more welcoming. There’s a lot more light and we’re much more visible from the street. There’s a lot of welcoming, comfortable seating in the very entrance. As you go further back into the bar, that’s where you’ll see everything that’s familiar. The back part of the bar is very much still the same as it was before, but just a little cleaned up and nicer.”

Braun has worked as the Chumley’s general manager since 1992 and was very involved — as was all the staff — with ensuring the new Chumley’s still reflected the brand’s history.

“(The new owners) made it very clear from the beginning, as soon as they started renovating, that they were going to honor the history of the bar and the community. ... They put a lot of responsibility in my hands and in the hands of the staff, as far as making choices goes, and even consulting a lot of the regular customers. We were engaged from the beginning and I felt a lot of agency thanks to the owners,” she said.

But the biggest change, she said, can be seen on the food and drink menu. Collaborating with the adjacent Allen Street Grill, the Chumley’s food menu now includes small plates that change from week to week, but all offerings incorporate what Braun calls a “whimsical” and “international flair.” As an example, for this month’s Happy Valley Restaurant Week, Chumley’s is offering a soft shell crab sandwich with a summer squash slaw and chili yogurt lime sauce.

A burger feature is available at the bar every Wednesday, an option Braun said has been a crowd favorite.

“They’ve been just outstanding, beyond indulgent. People love them,” she said.

As for the cocktail menu, she said the bar is still offering “accessible” cocktails, but also a few more adventurous options. Food and cocktail pairings are additionally now a popular option.

Upcoming events, such as live music, will be intended to match the menus’ upgraded, international vibe, bringing in local musicians and artists. As of yet, Braun said nothing specific is planned, though she expects that to change as the summer progresses.

As for Braun’s favorite part of the Chumley’s renovations? “The decor is my favorite,” she said. “It still really feels like home, but we have some artwork by a wonderful artist, Kadir Nelson, and we also have a really great mural in the front that’s visible from the street by a muralist from Philadelphia, Natalie Hope McDonald. Other artistic touches, like the tile behind the bar and the lighting and the seats — they all really bring out the best in the place.”

Chumley’s is located at 108 W. College Ave. in State College. Learn more at www.facebook.com/Chumleys/ or www.drinkatchumleys.com.

This story was originally published June 27, 2021 at 7:00 AM.