Tuesday afternoon, just over a week after the business found itself on the receiving end of considerable social media attention in response to an apparent “no play list,” owners of The Garage (1709 N. Arlington Pl.) announced the Brady Street-adjacent bar and its affiliated/connected Hi Hat Lounge have closed “effective immediately” and that a sale of both establishments is pending.
Co-owner Leslie Montemurro sent a “Statement from Ownership of The Garage and Hi Hat Lounge” to Milwaukee Record, telling us “at this time, this statement will be ownership’s only comment on this matter.” You can read the statement in full below:
“After several months of discussion, we are pleased to announce the pending sale of The Garage and Hi Hat Lounge to Scott Schaefer (owner of Jack’s American Pub and Milwaukee Brat House) and his business partner Daz Towers. Effective immediately, both establishments are closed. Once the sale is completed and appropriate licenses are in place, the new owners will announce next steps.
“Sale discussions with Schaefer began earlier this summer as we planned for retirement. In light of recent events and resulting staffing concerns, we made the decision to move forward with the sale now, rather than attempt to continue operating in the interim. Our current employees will be paid for two weeks of time off and offered an additional two weeks of severance pay. They will also be provided the opportunity for employment under new ownership.
“While the last week has been challenging, we are very proud of more than two decades of helping create a welcoming and diverse Brady Street community. We want to again apologize for the hurt this situation has caused as we know it fell short of the values we have tried to uphold for the past 28 years. We also want to offer our deepest gratitude to our staff, our patrons and our neighboring businesses for their support over the years.
“We’re grateful for the chance to pass this business on to someone who cares about Brady Street and this community the way we do. As we retire, we look forward to seeing these two establishments and the rest of Brady Street thrive for years to come.”
Check back for more details regarding the pending sale and the future of both businesses as that information becomes available.