The Garage, a popular Brady Street bar known for local DJs, has closed effective immediately as it transitions to new ownership.
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Owner Leslie Montemurro announced in a statement Tuesday the pending sale of both The Garage and Hi Hat Lounge to Daz Towers and Scott Schaefer, owner of Jack's American Pub and Milwaukee Brat House.
Montemurro said sale discussions had been underway for several months.
"Sale discussions with Schaefer began earlier this summer as we planned for retirement," Montemurro said. "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."
The closures come a week after The Garage became the center of controversy when a video of a supposed "no-play list" surfaced online, featuring Black hip-hop and rap performers, including a specific ban on Milwaukee rap.
The Garage posted a statement on social media on Aug. 24 saying, in part, the list was not approved by ownership and that the "intention was to eliminate music with lyrics that referenced violence or guns."
In Tuesday's statement, Montemurro apologized for the situation, saying they are "very proud of more than two decades of helping create a welcoming and diverse Brady Street community," and that they "fell short of the values we have tried to uphold for the past 28 years."
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, according to the statement.
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