Since March, a new bar on Toledo's east side has been taking online heat.
"Some of the comments on there was they were gonna air this place out, which me personally I didn't know what that meant until it was told to me that they were going to shoot up the place. They said that they were gonna burn it down," bar manager Rachele Stahl said.
The controversy comes in a name: Ape Hanger's Eastside Saloon.
Many on Facebook feel the bar's name is racist, yet the owners say it's all a misunderstanding: "Ape hangers" refers to the high custom handlebars of a motorcycle.
Avid biker Earl Mack, who rides with the Buffalo Soldiers, feels similarly.
"Been riding since '71, my first motorcycle was a Honda with a 900 kit in it. Came in king and queen seats, and I had ape handlebars at that time too, ape hanger handlebars," Toledo Buffalo Soldier Earl Mack said.
When the partners bought the bar three months ago, they wanted to beautify the east side, they never expected this name to get so much flack.
"We went through various names, we went through kickstand, clutch and throttle, ya know, other stuff on a motorcycle. 'Ape hangers' is what stuck out to us. That's what I love about my bikes," one of the bar owners Joshua Arnold said.
Earl Mack said the special handlebar was created during World War II to keep soldiers from flying out of jeeps
"When they hit a bump, soldiers were flying out. What they did, they put a bar in it, which was called ape hanger bar that instead of flying over the hood of the jeep, they would just hold on," Mack explained.
The bar's owners have explained the bar's name on a sign near the front door. But they worry explanations won't be enough. They recently filed a police complaint after hundreds of intensifying social media posts.
"We want it to be a fun, friendly place. We want the community to come together to be able to stand in here and have a good time and drink responsibly," Stahl said.
The owners just want to clear the air. They say everyone is welcome at Ape Hanger's Eastside Saloon. They've released two statements below:
Non Discrimination Statement
Ape Hangers East Side Saloon is respectfully named after a distinct type of handle bars often found on motorcycles. Ape Hangers East Side Saloon has established in the past and recently a biker oriented atmosphere but welcomes all patrons and does not support or tolerate any type of discrimination on the basis of gender, age, creed, religion, color, national origin, disability, sexual orientation or marital status.
Re Enforced Statement
This is the perspective of some individuals who have misunderstood the culture of bikers and the meaning of this establishment. Ape Hangers patrons and employees deplore any acts of violence and racism. The fact that certain individuals in this community who have misunderstood the representation of Ape Hangers East Side Saloon and would encourage violence and vandalism is unfortunate. These type of actions only breed the same type of hate they accuse us of. I sincerely hope they will re-evaluate their perspectives and opinions on this establishment but more importantly think about the long term consequences before they decided to bring any type of harm to this establishment, patrons and the community around it.
