Loycent Gordon
Owner/CEO
Historic Neir's Tavern
Loycent Gordon is a Jamaican immigrant who is the Owner & CEO of Historic Neir’s Tavern (est. 1829) in Woodhaven, Queens—one of America’s oldest bars—which he saved three days from closure in 2009, despite having no prior hospitality experience. Ten years later In 2020, faced with an expired lease and a proposed triple rent hike, he rallied the community and stakeholders to save the tavern again, propelling Neir’s into the national spotlight.
Under his leadership, Neir’s has been twice listed in the United States Congressional Record and one of the only restaurants to be honored with a New York City street co-naming, “Neir’s Tavern Way.” A former FDNY lieutenant and now an Executive Board Member of the NYC Hospitality Alliance, Gordon pairs preservation with smart growth: he launched the Road to 200 Years campaign and Neir’s Ambassadors Club, a multi-faceted approach to build long-term resiliency in hopes of getting the tavern to 200 years in a better position than he found it.
He has secured licensing deals to open two Neir’s Tavern locations at JFK in 2026 and multiple joint-venture partnerships—translating neighborhood heritage into airport-scale success without losing the soul that makes Neir’s special. Featured by The New York Times, Fox Business, and NBC Today, New York Stock Exchange and recognized as Business Person of the Year, Gordon champions mom-and-pop restaurants and small businesses, mobilizing people and partners to protect those local small businesses who are the soul of our neighborhoods. Learn more at www.neirstavern.co