Gulu-Gulu Cafe

09/14/2026

We got a great week of events! Tuesday is an extra special event in the form of the Birthday Drag Roast of Geya Jenda . Expect several special guests to hilariously take Geya to task. $5 cover at the door. Wednesday is the ever popular bingo with Will Pottorff . Extreme bingo, no cover. Thursday is our legendary music Open Mic Shindig. Come perform or join in the fun as a spectator. Friday we have Eva James performing live music on the Gulu stage, no cover. And Saturday The popular Michael Boezi returns for an eclectic evening of music, no cover. And closing out every week is the best event in town: Diamond's Dine-In drag show on Sundays from 2pm to 4pm.

09/07/2026

09/07/2026

We got a packed week for ya with NO COVER charge for any of it, and we couldn't be more excited! Live Jazz on Monday with the amazing , Karaoke with on Tuesday, 's ever popular Bingo Wednesday, our legendary musical Open Mic on Thursday, and then plenty of live music on the weekend. Friday we see the return of Justin "Jabbo" Martin . His live music always hits the right spot for us. Especially when he breaks out the Morphine covers. And then Saturday night we have everyone's favorite Blues on Tap hitting our stage once again to give you all the best rock and blues covers.

09/07/2026

WBZ News | CBS News Boston stopped by to interview us and Curly Girl Candy Shop I’m looking at the resulting story and the comments from the SRA of City of Salem are infuriating. They never sought input from the public or local business owners. They certainly didn’t give us an option to work with them. No, they sent someone over to tell us to remove the art without any notice or option to discuss. Which doesn’t even follow the sign ordinance the SRA says they’re trying to uphold. It’s upsetting that the SRA is trying to pretend this was even remotely cooperative.

09/05/2026

I see posted some clarifying points. Here's what we received, and it contains several issues:

1. The artwork cannot contain any branding at all. So our dogs are out. We cannot incorporate them. The sail saying "Do You Gulu" is deemed signage. We disagree with this.
2. The 20% window rule limits how we utilize the space for artistic purposes. Further, there is no set standard for how the SRA is measuring this 20%. Is it the full window area, or just each individual pane of glass? Is it the entire border of the art or do transparent sections of the art not count?

3. The purpose is for compliance with the sign code. The sign code requires all signage approved through the Design Review Board. We will need approval of any art that contains our dogs, or products, anything Gulu-related.

4. The Sign Code requires 90-days notice on anything not in compliance and a chance to appeal the decisions. The SRA is giving us no such option. In stead they are saying any art that references the business inside is a no go.

5. Even if we do remove all branding, we must take it down every three months. Not all art needs to be that level of temporary. We personally want to move to a twice-per year update because the quality of the art is nice. It's pleasing. But not all art needs even that level of change. Is the Koto bowl of ramen so offensive to the eye that it needs to come down after three months.

The core issue is overreach. Something that's never been done for nearly 15 years of art at Gulu is now suddenly an enforcement issue. It's our window, our free speech, and I think the City is really doing something that harms the character of Salem.

And it's not just Gulu. So far there's 7 businesses I've identified impacted by this matter. I'm sure I'll find more. But as far as we can tell, enforcement isn't consistent at all.

09/04/2026

Say goodby to our window art. It's been fun, but the city is forcing our windows bare.

The Salem Redevelopment Authority has told several businesses in the SRA district that window art must come down by November 8 or we may face fines.

This isn’t just about Gulu. Do you like the window art at Curly Girl, HausWitch, and New England Soup Factory? The murals and paintings that make walking down Essex and Washington Streets feel like Salem? Sorry. Apparently those windows need to be bare too. Others are also impacted.

For years, businesses like ours have worked with local artists to turn our windows into something more than glass and advertising. At Gulu, the previous owners embraced this, and we’ve been proud to carry it forward. We pay artists. We give them space. They make downtown more colorful, interesting, and more Salem. Now we’re being told that has to stop.

Yes, the SRA has a process to potentially approve window art, but its restrictions are so limiting that, for us, the process is untenable.

I personally believe this raises serious questions about free speech. But even putting that aside, it’s incredibly sad to watch an agency charged with improving downtown Salem use its authority to remove art from it. The SRA was created decades ago to address blight and deterioration downtown. Artists, independent businesses, and the creative community helped transform Salem into what it is today. Art is not blight. It is part of Salem’s character.

And I fear what comes next. If painted windows are a problem, where does this stop? Is the entrance arch at Tomb next? The Viking ship at Coven’s Cottage? What other art, sculpture, or creative expression eventually runs afoul of rules the SRA enforces inconsistently? We’re staring down a slippery slope, and for what end? The result seems to be less art, fewer opportunities for local artists, and a downtown that is plainer and less interesting.

So unless something changes, our window mural, and many others throughout downtown Salem, will come down by November 8. If you don't like this move by the SRA, I encourage you to email [email protected], [email protected], and [email protected].

09/03/2026

We're gonna stay open the first Monday of September and October. We normally close for maintenance, but Eric decided he wants to play night owl and stay late on Sunday to take care of the handyman stuff. We'll be here ready to help you face the day and/or close it out the whole time.

09/02/2026

Updated beer list is live! We have a couple fun Trillium collabs, our favorite Cider from Brittany, France, a fun Czech dark lager, and more. Oh, we also got Straffe Hendrik Quad! The tripel was such a hit with everyone so let's kick it up to the next level. This was the first Belgian Quad ever made. Come see what it's all about!

09/01/2026

More NA beers hit the cooler at Gulu-Gulu this week! We added a few fun options alongside our usual lineup of Notch NA Pils and IPA and Athletic Upside Dawn.

Brouwerij De Halve Maan Sportzot — This is the sleeper hit of NA beer. De Halve Maan takes their top-tier Belgian Blonde and removes the alcohol after brewing. It starts as the same beer they famously pump through a centuries-old pipeline beneath Bruges, with an extra step to make it NA.

The result is hands-down one of the best NA beers we’ve ever tasted. It genuinely tastes and feels like a full-strength Belgian blonde. We were all a little stunned when we sampled it with the De Halve Maan/Straffe Hendrik rep. Since it’s a fancy import, Sportzot will only be around for a limited time.

Lawson’s Sip’N IPA — Lawson’s nailed this one. A solid malt backbone with all the fun hoppiness you’d expect from the people behind Sip of Sunshine. This one is tasty enough that it’ll probably earn a spot in our regular rotation.

Sober Carpenter Raspberry Sour — Back by popular demand! The NA crowd shouldn’t be left out of the sour beer scene. This staff and guest favorite hits all the right tart, fruity notes without the booze. And speaking as someone who has no objection whatsoever to alcohol: I drink this stuff because it’s delicious. It’s that good.

A quick note on NA: these beers are all under 0.5% ABV. “Non-alcoholic” doesn’t necessarily mean absolute 0.0%, and different people have different reasons for choosing NA and different comfort levels with trace amounts of alcohol. If that distinction matters to you, please choose what works for you. Internet searches seem to indicate Sportzot will for sure hit 0.4%. The rest should be closer to zero point zero.

And if beer isn’t your thing, we’ve also put a lot of work into our NA cocktails. They’re actual cocktails built without alcohol—not just a glass of juice and sugar pretending to be one. Our menu shows a couple options, but our bartenders can hook it up if you want to go rogue.

Drinking, cutting back, taking a night off, or not drinking at all: we want you to have something genuinely good in your glass.