After graduating from Dougherty High School in Colorado Springs, Franklin pursued his craft in the Big Apple, and for 20 years, he built a theatre career on Broadway. Owning a bar is new territory for the couple-but for Franklin, Colorado Springs isn’t.įranklin’s story is all too similar to those of queer kids with dreams bigger than their small (or conservative) hometowns. Both of them are far more accustomed to making curtain calls than signature drinks, having been performers on Broadway for the last two decades in beloved shows like Jersey Boys, Legally Blonde, and Grease. But the couple says they have welcomed the chance to learn the ins and outs of the bar and restaurant industry before loosened restrictions opened the doors to a flood of customers. Photo courtesy of John Wolfeįranklin and Wolfe, who are engaged to be married in August, opened ICONS in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, a risky move for any new venture. And there are places that have live music, but they’re not classy-campy like we are. Certainly, there are cocktail places, but they’re not necessarily queer places. “It seems like a no-brainer,” Franklin says, “but it truly is unique.