Late in 1987, Al Thomas was looking for a location for a new gay bar. He saw an ad that D.K.'s Bar, a lesbian bar, was for sale, and decided it might be a good location for gay bar- perhaps lesbian, perhaps gay.

On December 5, 1987, Dotie held a farewell party for customers and staff of D.K.'s Tavern. On the very next night, the bar re-opened, and new owner Alan Thomas (formerly a resident of Kenosha who had bought the business and moved up to Milwaukee) declared it was "still a women's bar" and would retain the same staff and name. But within a few months business had shown that a change was needed; Al renamed the business The Triangle in June 1988 and reopened as a gay bar. (IS SO 4-20)

On its opening, Triangle was extremely popular as "the" place to start a Friday or Saturday prior to migrating to La Cage (the popular nearby dance club), and Triangle typically picked up in business again close to closing time as a last stop. Over time, Triangle became popular for occasional shows and other events (including annual holiday parties), and added an outdoor patio. It was also a relatively early bar, often times the best place to be for people wanting a few drinks or to socialize right after work (4:00-6:00pm).

The Triangle has had its share of ups and downs in business, but has survived through several changes in ownership and customer base. At one point two popular bartenders left, opening their own nightspot Fluid (located closer to La Cage), and taking a good number of customers with them. But through it all Triangle always seemed to retain a core group of customers. To this day it still holds a loyal following, including many people who like to frequent area bars but are not into the dance scene.