History of Gay and Lesbian Life in Wisconsin - Businesses - Bars and Clubs (Milw.)

 
TempT
Location: 324 E. Mason St., Milwaukee WI

Opened:
Closed:

June 3, 2010
May 2011
Clientele:

Male/ Female
Lounge/ Dance

 

 
       
 

'TempT' bar had their Grand Opening on Thursday, June 3, 2010; "right next door to Karl Ratzsch's".

Mention in various media indicate it as a high scale location, well appointed. A mention in June's issue of OutBound reads "They are touting a fresh new approach, combining the intimacy of a lounge with the heated energy of a nightclub. Steve Sova is your tempting Tempt host; he is young, fresh, energetic..." A mention a few issues later lists bartenders Steve, Nick, Eric and Jason.

The bar also advertised heavily. The main "bar guide" available in LGBT bars at the time was "OutBound magazine", and TempT had full page ads (often the back cover) of many of the monthly issues.

The webmaster recalls that the bar was gorgeous, but there were some problems. The music was very loud, so conversation was difficult, and there was not a very big dance area. More troublesome, being downtown very near the popular Hotel Metro, Pfister Hotel, and numerous other bars and restaurants, parking was very difficult to find. So I don't recall it ever having as much business as they expected or hoped for. (Wisconsin's oldest LGBT bar, This Is It, was just 2 blocks away, but blessed with being 1/2 block from Cathedral Square, with many more parking spots surrounding that park.)

Perhaps as a result of lower than expected business, the bar was short-lived. Just a year later, OutBound v10-06 reported that "TempT is now history". The blurb said only "Prime real estate and somebody wanted that address, so the story goes they were bought up."

Article, newly opened
(OutBound v9-06, June 2010)
 
Article, new bars in Milwaukee
(Quest v17-09, June 2010)
 
Photos, Opening Nite
(Quest v17-09, June 2010)
 
Advertisement, Gay Beach Bash
(OutBound v9-07, July 2010)
 
Photos, Stop & Go Night event
(OutBound v9-08, August 2010)
 
Advertisement
(OutBound v9-09, September 2010)
 
Article, Tempt doing well
(OutBound v9-09, September 2010)
 
Advertisement
(OutBound v9-12, December 2010)
 
Article, Tempt has closed
(OutBound v9-06, June 2011)
 
 


Grand Opening ad
(OutBound v9-05, May 2010
-- back cover)
 


Cover photo
(OutBound v9-06, June 2010)
 


Advertisement, back cover
(OutBound v10-06, June 2010)
 

Credits: web site concept, contents, design and arrangement by Don Schwamb.
Last updated: July-2022.

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