Lee Initiative Lunch Break: The door is always open at Lesbian-owned bar, Birdie & Vi’s
photos by Milkman Photography (Feature photo: Dani DeVincentis serves up drinks to Birdi & Vi’s customers)
Queer Kentucky is a proud partner of the Lee Initiative. This is the first part of a series of stories uplifting Queer voices within the hospitality industry in partnership with the Lee Initiative.
“We started The LEE Initiative in Louisville, KY in 2018 after we saw a need for more diversity, more training, and more equality in our own industry. We wanted to redefine what it means to give back to our local community based on our research, our experiences and most of all, our instincts. We are in the business of hospitality, helping people, and solving problems. We put the needs of our guests first. So why should it be any different when we approach the complex social issues that arise in the restaurant industry?”
On any given evening on West Magnolia Avenue in Old Louisville, there’s an open door where friends, neighbors and the occasional strangers gather to catch up on the tea of the town, unwind from a long day or just sift through a treasure trove of antiques and vintage clothing, jewelry, signs and much more.
When wives Tracey and Susan Ohlmann decided to open Birdie & Vi’s in 2021, they had two goals in mind: 1) Create a fun environment that welcomes folks from all walks of life, and 2) Open an antique shop where you can drink beer and “go junkin’” at the same time.
Tracey and Susan have been together almost 25 years, and they’ve been residents of Old Louisville for that entire time. So they’re quite familiar with the bustling neighborhood and also own some rental properties in the area. Tracey works part time at FedEx, and Susan has been retired for a few years after selling her family business. The couple share a love of antique shopping, which they call “junkin’,” and after years of collecting and shopping all over the country, they finally decided to open a retail space of their own.
So when the historic property at 622 W. Magnolia Ave. came up for sale, Tracey knew it was the perfect spot to turn their dreams into reality. She just had to convince Susan.
“I left her a message and said, ‘When you’re going to work. Don’t trip out, but on the left is a building with a For Sale sign. Just look at it, and then think about it with awnings and a sign,’ Tracey recalls. “I got home from work, and she said, ‘Oh my god, you want that building?’”
Susan was hesitant because the building was quite damaged and had been used as storage for decades. But it had character, Tracey says, and it was once a neighborhood bar in the 1940s-1960s called the Magnolia Inn. Located in a predominant African-American section of Old Louisville known as Black Hill, the bar was often frequented by Muhammad Ali’s father. Tracey loves the history of the area and wants to help preserve it.
“Black Hill was its own little town here, and not many people know about it,” she says. “I’d like to help get the word out and share the history.”
After much renovation and blood, sweat and tears, the 3,000+ square-foot building was ready to welcome thirsty neighbors once again with some cold beer and a curiosity for junkin’.
Junkin’ Ain’t Easy
To enjoy the occasional antique shopping is one thing, but the love of junkin’ goes much deeper for both Tracey and Susan. Some of Susan’s earliest memories come from the joy she got in finding treasure among trash.
“I remember when I was a kid, on garbage day, my brother and I used to walk behind to see what everyone was throwing out,” Susan says. “We would come home with the darnedest things. One time I found a set of Rock ’Em Sock ’Em Robots sitting on a garbage can! Can you imagine someone setting that out? So Saturday morning following the garbage man was a pretty good time.”
Now that they have their own antique shop, Tracey and Susan continue to hit up garage sales, estate sales, shops, and also drive around the city on junk pickup days searching for tossed-out valuables — even when they’re on vacation.
“We even got caught once looking through dumpsters in New York City while on vacation,” Susan says, laughing. “We saw the dumpster from our high-rise, and we just couldn’t stand it. We had to look in. I read somewhere it’s one of the favorite things Diane Keaton loved to do with her kids when they were little, so after I read that, I thought, ‘Yeah, it’s a cool thing to do.’”
Birdie& Vi’s is Born
Tracey has no qualms about sharing her love of junk, so when they acquired the building, there was no other thought in her mind than to open a spot that combined her love of junk and beer.
“We were always junk collectors, so whenever we would travel, we would go check out kitschy places. We didn’t like the malls; we liked mom-and-pop stores,” Tracey explains. “So we would buy what we were attracted to and things we knew we could make money on. We always thought, ‘Why can’t you drink beer and junk shop at the same time?’ Because that’s kinda what we like to do. We would go junkin’ and then visit a brewery.”
It was on a junkin’ trip to Put-in-Bay, Ohio, when Tracey and Susan got the idea for their shop’s name. They had stopped in the nearby town of Port Clinton to — you guessed it — look for some antique shops, and they found a quaint little store off the beaten path. They discovered a photograph they loved of two women flappers from the 1920s, and then Susan purchased a random old viewfinder that also showed a photo of two unabashed women who were smoking cigarettes and posing topless.
The couple decided the store logo and name should have a throwback feel, and with these two pairs of women in mind from their collection, they decided to name it Birdie, a nickname of Tracey’s mother, and Vi, which is short for Viola, Susan’s grandmother.

Tracey and Susan
Open to All
Tracey and Susan don’t consider Birdie & Vi’s a lesbian bar, and in fact they don’t even consider it a bar in general. It’s merely an antique shop that happens to sell canned beers and seltzers, and it’s usually only open until 8 p.m. on weekends and 6 p.m. on Thursdays and Sundays. Sometimes they’ll stay open later for a special event.
They did start a monthly lesbian gathering called Desert Hearts, which derives its name from the 1985 film of the same name that was based on the classic lesbian novel “Desert of the Heart” by Jane Rule. The gatherings are open to everyone and are typically held the Friday evening before the monthly Louisville Lesbian Tea Dance (which takes place the second Saturday of each month at Big Bar).
“I definitely want everybody to feel comfortable here, including the straight people who come in,” Tracey says. “If we’re having our lesbian party, I want the neighbors to know they can still come, too. The door is open, so whoever comes in is who comes in. And I’m happy about that. I want them to be comfortable and happy to be here.”
Susan adds: “Throughout our 25 years, that’s pretty much how we’ve lived our lives. We’ve never been pro anything. We’ve just lived openly as who we are, and people tend to follow us. We want to be inclusive and have a good vibe.”
Since opening, they’ve hosted live music, comedy shows, karaoke, birthday parties, engagements, funerals and a very successful lesbian speed dating event. The couple would like to continue offering unique experiences for their customers, and in the future, they might even look at creating a live music venue in the back of the property.
But looking back on the first three years of business, Tracey and Susan agree that things are far exceeding their expectations.
“It keeps growing every year, so to me, I think we’re doing well,” adds Tracey. “Sometimes she says we’re not, but this will be our third year. For us to have a savings account, I think we’re doing pretty good. I feel like we’ve made a safe space for all folks. It’s just been positive. The vibe here is positive.”