A tavern-style spot called XL Bar is slated for the 1,440-square-foot room at 501 W. Taylor St., the address Renegades occupied until May. California ABC records list Erika Dominguez as the applicant for a Type 48 on-sale liquor license. A window permit still shows the space is not yet licensed to pour. Management did not comment when reporters called.
The building sits across from San Jose Market Center, the busy cluster anchored by Target, Marshalls, Sprouts and Trader Joe’s, a short hop from Downtown San Jose’s core. Foot traffic from grocery runs and evening errands could feed a neighborhood tavern if the license clears and the doors open.
Renegades closed May 8 after the death of longtime owner Luis Sarmiento. Staff and regulars tried to keep the room going. A May post from the bar’s account said the landlords had chosen a different tenant. Whether XL Bar’s operators had any role in that decision remains unclear. Renegades had served as one of San Jose’s last dedicated gay bars, a home for karaoke, drag nights and softball teams since the 1970s.
The city’s queer nightlife map is thinner than it once was. San Jose counted about 14 gay bars in earlier decades. Splash and Mac’s Club still operate on Post Street inside the Qmunity District. Those two rooms now carry more of the late-night weight for LGBTQ+ residents and visitors. Anyone who misses the Taylor Street circle can still find drag, dancing and a patio a few blocks closer to City Hall.
A new tavern next to a grocery center is ordinary city news until the license posts and the lights go on. What matters for San Jose is whether the block stays lively and whether the Qmunity District keeps getting the crowds it earned. Stop by Post Street in the meantime.
Source: Silicon Valley Business Journal
