A popular State Street tavern regularly frequented by many UW-Madison students has closed its doorsb and owners have indicated they will not reopen.
Stillwaters, 250 State St., closed Friday after almost 30 years of business at their location on the intersection of East Johnson and State Street.
According to Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, the owner of the bar, Mike Rogers, along with partner Dave Ruedy, have not renewed their lease. They will therefore discontinue their Stillwaters Inc. operation at that location.
Upon hearing of the closing, Stephanie LaBella-Luke of the Greater State Street Business Association said, 'That's really sad to hear that.'
The Capital Times reported the landlord of the property, Carol Mullins, is looking for a new tenant. Mullins told the Capital Times that some businesses interested in leasing the property are also interested in expanding the interior space.
Such expansion would require utilizing space in the adjacent location, a former Radio Shack, which is also owned by Mullins.
Stillwaters opened in 1970 and quickly became a one of State Street's most popular bars.
On March 10, 2003 Stillwaters played host to a hip-hop music night and subsequently became the site of a shooting that resulted in minor injuries for one man and debatable repercussions for the reputation of the Madison- area hip-hop scene.
It is still unknown to the public why the business was unable to remain open. Speculation centers on the economic impact of Madison's comprehensive tobacco ban and the legal fees accrued in an ongoing class action lawsuit filed by three UW-Madison students against 24 downtown taverns, including Stillwaters, in 2004.
