Triangle bar that drew controversy when Proud Boys were patrons closing its doors

A Hillsborough night spot targeted in 2021 when Proud Boy were seen spending time there will close at the end of April, according to a social media post.

The owners of Hot Tin Roof thanked their employees, customers and “everyone who (has) made an impact” on the business in a Facebook post Tuesday. The bar will close April 30, less than a year after co-owner Kim Tesoro died at age 57.

“We appreciate & love you all!! With that being said, let’s make these last two weeks an absolute party!!” the post said.

Hot Tin Roof founder Mark Bateman and his partners opened the bar in 2013 in a small building that formerly housed a plumbing business at 115 W. Margaret Lane.

They offered cold drinks, lively music and dancing, with a courtyard for events and games. But neighbors complained about the noise from late-night live music, prompting the Hillsborough Town Board to consider a noise ordinance.

In 2017, Bateman brought in two new partners, Vince and Kim Tesoro. Kim Tesoro was also hired that year as chief executive officer of the Hillsborough/Orange County Chamber of Commerce. Vince Tesoro soon left the business.

In 2021, Hot Tin Roof found itself at the center of controversy after a popular DJ quit over harassment concerns and another patron made a series of Facebook posts about a Hillsborough resident and known Proud Boy patronizing the bar and bringing his friends.

That same year, the Town Board approved the noise ordinance, which set limits on amplified sound and added penalties for violations.

Encounters with Proud Boys

It was a time of significant protests in downtown Hillsborough involving the Ku Klux Klan and neo-Confederate sympathizers, including members of the Proud Boys, a violent extremist group that also took part in the Jan. 6 insurrection.

Police did not find any “incidents of violence, intimidation, disturbances or any crimes related to anyone identifying or being alleged to be associated with the Proud Boys,” Hillsborough Police Chief Duane Hampton previously told The News & Observer.

Bateman tried to calm the furor, telling The N&O that he didn’t want any conflict at the bar. They wanted the bar to be inclusive, he said.

“I just want people to come socialize and have a beverage,” he said in a 2021 interview.

But residents and anti-racism activists urged the Chamber to fire Tesoro and called on the town’s Board of Commissioners to remove her and Bateman from the town’s tourism board. Some called for a boycott of the Hot Tin Roof.

The Chamber’s board of directors later issued a statement in support of Tesoro, who “has been an effective and professional CEO,” it said. The town board did not take action.

The bar added rules that prohibited attire representing any kind of hate group.