Annie Kaylor

Annie Kaylor (born Anne John Katinas; August 20, 1927 – July 24, 2013) was an American restaurateur known for running Annie's Paramount Steakhouse and for her support of the LGBT community in Washington, D.C.

Early life Kaylor was born Anne John Katinas on August 20, 1927, in Washington, D.C. Her parents were Greek immigrants.

Career

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Paramount Steakhouse was founded in 1948 by Kaylor's older brother, George, in the Dupont Circle neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Kaylor began working at the restaurant in 1952, originally staffing the bar with her sister, Sue, during nights and weekends. In the 1960s, George changed the name of restaurant to "Annie's Paramount Steakhouse" to distinguish the restaurant from other Paramount Steakhouse locations he had opened and because of Kaylor's "dramatic personality" that entertained patrons.

Starting in the 1950s, the restaurant was predominantly patronized by gay men, and led Kaylor to become an ally to the LGBTQ community in Washington, D.C. In the 1960s or 1970s, customers recalled Kaylor encouraging two men holding hands under a table to stop hiding and hold their hands on top of the table.

In 1985, the restaurant moved from its original location at 1519 17th Street NW one block north to its current location at 1609 17th Street NW. In 2015, D.C.'s Rainbow History Project posthumously recognized Kaylor's contributions as an ally to the LGBTQ community.