West Allis Council Moves to Revoke Drunk Uncle's Liquor License

The Brief

• The West Allis Common Council decided to cancel the liquor license for The Drunk Uncle.
• In March, a council committee agreed to issue a notification of non-renewal for the alcohol permit.
• The failure to renew was not connected to a lawsuit that had been brought against the bar.

WEST ALLIS, Wis. - On Tuesday, the West Allis Common Council unanimously voted 9-0 to rescind the liquor, tavern, and public entertainment licenses. The Drunk Uncle - shutting down the bar that had faced criticism for several months, with immediate effect.

Slew of incidents

The backstory

Neal Steffek has been the owner of The Drunk Uncle, a place that has encountered numerous issues, for 12 years. The latest problem arose on Saturday.

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On Friday, Steffek shared via the establishment’s social media platforms that prospects were looking grim for The Drunk Uncle. As a result, the venue planned to provide complimentary drinks to all patrons beginning at noon on Saturday.

“I won't be able to keep it with me, so why not just share it - dispose of it? Since from this day forward, it will have no value,” he stated.

The West Allis police stated that they responded to calls at the bar several times on Saturday—one incident involved a brawl, followed by another concerning an individual who was severely drunk and had injured their head. As a result of these events, law enforcement decided to shut down the establishment prematurely.

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In March, the city of West Allis submitted a lawsuit with seven charges against Steffek, who refuted each one. The allegations included sexual harassment, verbal abuse, and hostile conduct.

In March, a dissatisfied customer posted a negative review, which prompted Steffek to respond with “you’re an overweight geek who’s friendless.” A bartender explained that this reply from Steffek was just his way of being humorous. They also mentioned that the upset customer had been intoxicated upon arrival. Subsequently, the disgruntled patron filed a lawsuit alleging that Steffek had left defamatory comments about them at their workplace.

What now?

What they're saying

Owner Neal Steffek and his team presented a petition containing over 300 signatures from individuals advocating for the continuation of the bar’s operations. At Tuesday evening's gathering, everyone who voiced their opinion expressed support for keeping the establishment open.

“Are we planning to visit each nearby bar and check out all their unfavorable feedback? Since I can easily find plenty of those,” stated bartender April Kreush. “It feels like, why were we just approached?”

What's next

Steffek mentioned that he isn't certain about his future plans.

“I’m out of money. I don’t have a job at the moment,” stated Steffek.

The Source

The details in this report originate from the West Allis Common Council, the West Allis Police Department, and previous reporting by FOX6 News about The Drunk Uncle.