We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Joshua Franklin. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Joshua below.
Hi Joshua, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to go back in time and hear the story of how you came up with the name of your brand?
Our business is a gay piano bar called Icons in Colorado Springs. Colorado Springs has a complicated history with the queer community. As of now, Icons is the only gay bar in the second largest city in Colorado, which is frankly telling. In the past, there have been many dark, discreet dance clubs with names like “Hide and Seek” or “The Underground.” As a Colorado Springs native, I understand the purpose these clubs served but I wondered if perhaps it was time to offer a nice cocktail in a glass (instead of vodka soda in a plastic cup) to a community that deserves another option. We decided to call it Icons and celebrate, through art and punny menu items, all of the queer icons who’ve paved the way for our community. With a Bette Mudler, Ricky Martini and Dolly Patron as some of our signature cocktails, commissioned local art and themed bathrooms, our patrons are immersed in an unapologetic, classy yet campy “iconic” environment.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
Of course! Josh Franklin here. You can actually find a couple of albums of mine on Spotify from my previous life and maybe a Tony awards performance or two. I actually had very little experience in the bar industry and zero experience with business ownership. I was an actor. A Broadway actor. Successful but wanting a change and the pandemic forced me to finally be bold. I took what I knew from my 20 years in the entertainment industry and combined it with the bar industry. All of our bartenders are professional singers…like, some of the best singers I’ve ever encountered. So at any moment they will get on stage and belt out some Whitney or Etta James before pouring your next cocktail. And it turns out, being an actor was similar to owning your own business. Only now, instead of promoting myself and maintaining my own product I’m promoting a one of a kind bar experience and managing 10 employees, a couple drag queens and a musician here and there.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
We opened in 2020 under some restrictions which allowed us to learn as we grew. Sadly though, after two months of steady business we were restricted to outdoor dining only. Thankful we had a back patio so in December, in Colorado, with several outdoor heaters, my partner and I scaled back our staff and started singing on the back patio for a few loyal customers who were determined to see us succeed. It was actually a month full of pride for us as many of the shifts (that had to end at 8pm due to restrictions) were just the two of us making all the food, cocktails and shivering through holiday songs for a handful of brave patrons. We survived and maintain a special bond with those beautiful souls who braved the weather for a new small business.
Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?
I highly recommend The Miracle Morning. It’s a small little book, there’s a great podcast from the author, and this little book changed my life entirely. It put me on a path that led to business ownership, a path that I’m convinced would not have revealed itself without the daily practice I learned from this book.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.icons-co.com
- Instagram: @icons_colorado
- Facebook: Icons-co