“I’ve been working on this for months,” Lipka said. Mathey will still own the bar and Lipka will run day-to-day operations as general manager. He also added that the bar will most likely have karaoke, trivia, and bingo, with a “gay twist” and possibly drag shows or cabaret-style events in the upstairs area. The idea, Lipka said, is to fill the whole two-story space, which includes seating for about 170 people, all the time, as much as possible. The upstairs area, which previously hosted special events, like birthdays or DJ events, will now be open as a lounge space, with dancing. We are and always will be a place for people to come. Parlay at Joy is a lively, ultramodern sports bar that has taken over the first floor. The back patio is also transforming into a fully staffed tiki-style bar. Our guests are a diverse mix of the global LGBTQIA+ fetish community seeking a safe and no-attitude bar. “And service, exceptional service, is what we are really striving for. “It’s a little more upscale,” Lipka said. They’ve hired five or six new employees and are planning to add some light “artisanal” food items to the bar’s offerings, alongside craft cocktails and beer. Weekend nights typically see a 4 or 5am closing time, but good thing the Red and Blue lines operate 24 hours a day.
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Expect to be out going hard until at least 1 to 2am, and that's just on a Thursday night. Lipka said the bar’s layout will be largely the same, although they have spent about $20,000 on new glassware, furniture, and a new bar backdrop. Locals, especially in the LGBTQI scene, don't typically leave their house until 10pm, even if the event starts at 8pm. “There’s just not enough people coming to this strip anymore.
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Everything’s just like spinning its wheels,” Mathey said, referring to Madison Street.