If your favorite spot does not find its mention in my book, please know it’s not for lack of significance or affection. Rather, it reflects the deep, often untapped well of tales that Cleveland’s drinking establishments offer—far too plentiful for one volume to fully encompass. With more than 1,700 bars operating in Cleveland by the mid-1960s, some just couldn’t fit. But some places—like Donovan’s Loop—refuse to be forgotten.
So here’s the first in a series of “bonus bars”: community favorites that didn’t make the book but still deserve a proper toast.
Donovan’s Loop – 14003 Coit Rd.
Donovan’s Loop – 14003 Coit Rd.Owned and operated by James P. Donovan Sr. for 47 years, Donovan’s Loop was more than just a tavern. It was a restaurant, a night club, a union headquarters, and a neighborhood institution in Collinwood. Donovan, a former steelworker and coal miner, built the place in 1923 alongside the Fisher Body plant, which would become one of its biggest sources of customers.
The name came from the nearby Euclid-Hayden streetcar loop. The Loop quickly became known for its ribs, live music, and long bar—reportedly 100 feet long. The nightclub was jumping with acts like Red Foley, Tex Ritter, Eddy Arnold, and even Frankie Laine, who got his start there.
When Prohibition ended in 1933, Donovan’s was one of the first businesses in Cleveland to get a liquor license.
During WWII, Donovan’s Loop was filled with workers from surrounding plants, and it even became the rally point for UAW Local 45 until they had a union hall of their own.
Fire and Rebirth
Fire and RebirthDonovan’s Loop survived multiple fires, including one in 1948 and a burglary-arson combo in 1964. But the final blow came in 1969, when the building was destroyed by fire. Even then, Donovan didn’t quit—at the age of 73, he got his real estate license and started a new career.
In 1978, the Loop’s old site was sold to a local church group. James Donovan, with typical Irish wit, joked, “Some might say it’s a case of sinners selling to saints.”
