Melbourne’s First Dedicated Lesbian, Trans, Non-Binary Bar Set To Open This Week
Image: Becca Pressing named Beans Bar, after her cat Yamabean, who passed away in April 2023.
When they said ‘Be careful what you post online’ we don’t think they meant ‘because you might end up with a lesbian bar’, but that’s just what happened to Beca Pressing.
When she jokingly stitched a November 2022 TikTok from comedian Samantha Andrew, Pressing unleashed a floodgate of enthusiasm from the local Lesbian community, who suffer from a lack of representation in Melbourne’s bar scene.
Pressing, an actor, model, activist and ex-Bachelorette contestant of the historic 2021 season, which featured bisexual Noongar-Yamatji woman Brooke Blurton, says “To be honest, at first it was a joke on Tik Tok. I’ve never worked in hospitality, so what am I doing opening a bar? Then I thought about it and decided that I could probably make it happen, and finally create a place where those of us who are a bit different can feel safe and understood!”.
Beans Bar
@becapressing #stitch with @Samantha Andrew 👀👀👀👀 does Melbourne need a lesbian/nb bar?! #melbourne #wlw #fypシ #fyp ♬ original sound – beca
The concept for Beans Bar evolved from a Lesbian bar into Melbourne’s first “dedicated lesbian, trans, non-binary and neurodivergent friendly bar”, named for Pressing’s beloved cat Yambean, who passed away in April.
Beans Bar will be sensory friendly, with simple food, bubble poppers, and a Spicy Sunday each week with lower music and lighting. Pressing encourages other venues to consider their neurodiverse clientele when designing their spaces and events.
“Just go in with a bit more of an open mind and remember that everyone thinks, processes, feels and acts differently for a variety of reasons… …We’re not fussy, or sensitive, we just feel and experience things differently and sometimes it’s very hard to pretend to be ‘normal’ all the time.”
A Bar For The Community
Just over six months after the first TikTok, Pressing and her team are getting ready for the bar’s sold-out red carpet opening night on Friday, May 26, 2023.
It’s been a wild ride, from securing the necessary legal licenses to sourcing plants, furniture and décor. Pressing turned to social media to hire staff and tradespeople from her community, supporting other small local businesses in the process of building her own.
“Honestly the support I’ve received has been so incredible from every angle… …Lani the Sparky has been amazing! Plus we actually knew each other when we were teenagers, ’cause apparently Melbourne is tiny!”
Big Dreams
@becapressing #beansbarmelbourne #wlwofmelbourne ♬ original sound – beca
Pressing is quick to celebrate those supporters and collaborators without whom Beans Bar would not be possible, including her mum, and best friend Bridgette. “She’s worked in bars for years so I basically called her up a few months ago and was like ‘hey… so I’m doing this thing, can you move to Melbourne?’ and she did. I wouldn’t have gotten this far without her!”
The sky is the limit for this young entrepreneur “I would love to expand Beans interstate and ensure that queer and neurodivergent communities across the country are catered for. I have some other things up my sleeve too, but they’re a bit hush-hush for now. I have big dreams.”
From a joke on TikTok, Beans has turned into a much-needed space for an under-served community. “Beans isn’t about me, it’s about us. All of us, and I want it to feel like home.”
Beans Bar, 325 Smith St, Fitzroy VIC 3065, opens on Friday, May 26, 2023.
