Back in April, we broke the news that popular cocktail lounge At Random was for sale. That for-sale status quickly changed, but the thought of losing the beloved business clearly worried many Milwaukeeans. Another iconic watering hole closing its doors forever? More apartment buildings? Ugh. So perhaps it’s understandable that rumors have been flying that another Milwaukee cocktail lounge will be closing its doors: Bryant’s Cocktail Lounge. After all, if one of the city’s dimly lit cocktail havens was once in danger of closing, the other is likely in trouble too, right?
Wrong. In a record-straightening Facebook post, Bryant’s reassures patrons it will NOT be closing. Here’s the message:
We were surprised to hear that there is a rumor going around that we are closing. Nothing could be further from the truth! We love what we do and, apparently, we are pretty good at it. Things have been going great for us: business is better than ever, Mitchell Street is on the up and up, and our neighborhood is getting better and better. Bryant’s is being nationally and internationally recognized for its rich history and place in the cocktail culture; this is something Milwaukee should be very proud of! We are even planning our 80th Anniversary Party in 2018 (yes, you are invited)! Not sure how rumors like this start, but I am guessing someone is mixing us up with our friends at At Random (who probably aren’t closing either). Innocent mistake, but we thought we ought to set the record straight.
So there you go: Bryant’s isn’t going anywhere, At Random probably isn’t going anywhere, and the city can continue to enjoy two places that serve insane and brain-piercing ice cream drinks. Carry on.