MILWAUKEE — A longtime Milwaukee bar near Fond du Lac and Capitol is now closed following a common council vote.
Mr. J's Lounge Old School and R&B had its last call Tuesday night after 45 years.
"Today, your city representatives voted in opposition to Mr. J's remaining open therefore we will be officially CLOSED as of 11:59PM," Mr. J's said on Facebook.
The bar hosted an all-night happy hour Tuesday night with discounted drink specials.
The lounge had been attempting to rally support from customers as the Common Council considered denying a license renewal. Before the final decison Tuesday, Mr. J's had posted on Facebook asking people to support them at City Hall.
Supporters were to meet at Mr. J's at 8 a.m. and shuttle down to City Hall.
According to a petition by Mr. J's lounge, the decision came as "the City of Milwaukee continues to experience its share of crime and violence. Mr J's have found itself embroiled, mislabeled and maligned by others as a magnet for these unfortunate events."
Mr. J's had been denied a license renewal on February 16. According to the lounge, the denial was due to factors "which are of no fault of Mr. J's and outside its control."
The lounge said the factors include crimes stemming from personal conflicts, and property damage "resulting out of negligence and opportunity."
The petition from Mr. J's reads "shootings, Personal Injury crimes and Property thefts is at an all time high in Milwaukee and occur throughout the city continuously. However, rarely are they considered the fault of an establishment or business. Mr. J’s Lounge should not be made an exception to this rule and should not be made to take the blame for occurrences that are beyond its control."
690 people had signed the petition prior to the vote, however, the Common Council stood by its decision to not renew the lounge's license.
