Jim’s Time Out, the scruffy tavern perched on James Lowell Avenue just south of the DMV and the courthouse, was always a fitting place to stop after, say, a failed license renewal or a finalized divorce. Currently, JTO is undergoing renovations which will swank up the space – but also retain the unpretentious charm.
"A lot of our regulars come in for a pitcher of Busch, and we’re still going to have that, but we’re also going to rotate in other tap beers including nitro, craft and seasonal," says Tomek Kowalczuk, an investor and bar manager at JTO.
Kowalczuk concocted a new cocktail menu featuring a half-dozen or so signature drinks including infused martinis and, of course, an Old Fashioned.
"We want to keep the menu simple and approachable for people who already like craft cocktails to those who want to come in and very casually get their feet wet on the cocktail side of things," says Kowalczuk.
JTO will offer a promotion every evening, including a Service Industry Night as well as an "I Know A Guy" night for anyone who knows a person in the service industry.
The name will change slightly to Jim’s Time Out Lounge – or JTO Lounge – and the interior will be a mix of warm paint tones, dark wood, leather chairs, candle / subtle light and a few booths, including a massive one in the back that will seat 8-10 people.
"We’re going for a nice little den or cottage feel," says Kowalczuk.
The patio will also undergo an upgrade and, by next summer, will have new furniture and vine-covered fences.
In 2013, Steve Gilberston and Jay Stamates purchased the business from former owner Jim Pappas who retired after operating the bar since the late ‘80s. Kowalczuk signed on earlier this year.
Jim’s Time Out Lounge will open to the public on Friday, Sept. 1, at which point Kowalczuk projects the space will be about 75 percent completed.
"This will be a work in progress through the end of the year," he says. "The place has been unchanged forever, and now we plan to really focus on it and improve it."
Stay tuned to OnMilwaukee for a First Look of the space at the the end of August.
Molly Snyder started writing and publishing her work at the age 10, when her community newspaper printed her poem, "The Unicorn.” Since then, she's expanded beyond the subject of mythical creatures and written in many different mediums but, nearest and dearest to her heart, thousands of articles for OnMilwaukee.
Molly is a regular contributor to FOX6 News and numerous radio stations as well as the co-host of "Dandelions: A Podcast For Women.” She's received five Milwaukee Press Club Awards, served as the Pfister Narrator and is the Wisconsin State Fair’s Celebrity Cream Puff Eating Champion of 2019.
