#23 – The Pinhook Founding Story: Durham’s Thriving 200‑Cap Queer‑Owned, Community‑Centered Club

Apr 17, 2025

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In this conversation, Kym (the venue owner) walks us through Pinhook’s 16‑year journey from start‑up to beloved cultural anchor in downtown Durham, NC. They open by explaining how Prism’s booking and settlement tools have tightened operations enough for a small, 200‑capacity room to pay fair wages—including their own—without sacrificing the club’s community‑first ethos.

Kym then rewinds to Pinhook’s 2008 founding, sharing how a queer‑owned, radically inclusive space was forged to welcome every walk of life while amplifying Durham’s DIY music roots. They dive into the economics of surviving (and thriving) as a micro‑venue: offsetting inflation and shifting drinking habits with inventive revenue streams—non‑alcoholic options, staggered early and late shows, and relentless programming creativity.

Mid‑episode, we hear the dramatic story of Pinhook’s brush with closure and the grassroots campaign (boosted by hometown heroes Sylvan Esso) that kept its doors open. Kym pulls back the curtain on the hard math of a 200‑cap business, stressing why community goodwill and eventually owning the building “dirt” matter as much as bar sales.

We wrap with a round of fastballs: their playbook for sustaining a tiny venue over decades, hopes for a fairer, more inclusive music ecosystem, and practical advice for fellow operators—chief among them, “Control your real estate, stay agile, and stay true to the people you serve.

(00:20) - Kym reflecting on how helpful Prism is to their 200 capacity community venue and pay them and their employees more

(3:24) - Kym’s story and the founding of Pinhook, a queer owned and ran club in Durham NC, and their unique ethos to truly embody inclusion while creating a safe space for everyone

(13:26) – the shifting landscape of drinking preferences, inflation and Kym’s success offering NAs, doing early shows & late night shows, and overall how Kym gets creative to make their venue work

(22:33) – The economics of making a 200 cap community centric club work, staying in business for 16 years + the heroic story of Kym and the community saving Pinhook early on–in part thanks to incredible local bands like Sylvan Esso

(32:07) – Fastballs: how do you make a 200 cap sustain for 16 years, the importance of owning the dirt under your venue, hopes for the music industry for the future

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