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Bars & clubs / Ann Arbor

Aut Bar

Closed – archive entry · 2020

Ann Arbor's openly gay bar and restaurant on Braun Court from 1995 to 2020, loved for its brunch, its patio and its role as a community hub.

01 / The story of this place

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For a quarter century the Aut Bar was Ann Arbor's openly gay bar and restaurant, tucked into Braun Court in Kerrytown. Founded in 1995 by Martin Contreras and Keith Orr, it was known for its brunch and patio and became a hub for the local LGBTQ+ community and its political organizing. The BarStar Group bought it in 2019, and in June 2020 the new owners announced it would not reopen after the COVID-19 shutdown. Its story is told in the 2026 documentary “Elegy for the Aut Bar.”

  1. Ann Arbor's LGBTQ+ anchor, 1995–2020
  2. Known for brunch and its Braun Court patio
  3. Subject of the 2026 film “Elegy for the Aut Bar”
Sources & fact check · Checked: 2026-09-25

An independently written bilingual guide. This collection is not an attendance-based ranking.

03 / Events

Events at this place

Published events automatically linked from our event guide. Times are local to the venue.

All events ↗

We have no published upcoming events linked to this place yet. That does not mean the venue has no events; check its official calendar too.

Source and former website ↗