Frank Ribaudo

Frank Ribaudo (December 20, 1944 – July 7, 2026) was an American businessman whose ventures centered around LGBTQ-themed businesses and organizations in Boston. He is most known as the co-founder of Club Café in Back Bay.

Early life On December 30, 1944, in Brooklyn, New York, Ribaudo was born to Caroline and Frank Ribaudo.

Ribaudo studied Hospitality Management at New York City Community College and was in the military for eight years during the Vietnam war.

Following his years in the military, Ribaudo lived in Southern California. He then moved to Chelmsford, Massachusetts and began restoring brownstones in Boston. In the mid-1980s, Ribaudo and Joseph McAllaster “opened Club Café as a place where members could gather after workouts”. During the AIDS crisis Ribaudo used the club “to host community dinners, meetings, and group discussions for people to learn from each other, seek support, and research the latest treatments”. Club Café’s cofounder, McAllaster, died in 1993 of complications from AIDS at age 38. In 2016, Ribaudo was honored with the Dr. Cal Cohen Founder’s Award from the Community Research Initiative.

Personal life and death In 2013, during the thirtieth year anniversary of Club Café, Ribaudo married his long term partner, Joe Posa. They were together 25 years. Posa is a drag queen who has performed at Club Café.

On July 7, 2026, Ribaudo died after being diagnosed with glioblastoma two years prior. He was 81. Ribaudo's husband, Joe Posa, stated, "Frank chose to stop treatment and received hospice care at home in his final days."