Donned in vintage finery, Wendy Sanderson, Chelsea Irek, Katie Romenesko sample a Tiki Bowl, a classic At Random cocktail. Photo Matt Haas
By Sheila Julson
Within the past two years, At Random and the White House, two iconic Bay View establishments, each faced an uncertain future when their owners placed them on the market. But in each instance, they have been given new life by entrepreneurs dedicated to preserving historic Milwaukee mainstays. In part one of this two-part series, John Dye talks about what inspired him to acquire At Random. In February, we’ll highlight Allison Meinhardt, who purchased the historic White House building on Kinnickinnic Avenue in 2019.
Some people have dubbed At Random retro, but it’s more accurate to say that time has simply stood still at the charming Mid-Century cocktail lounge.
Original founders Ron and Shirley Zeller acquired the building, 2501 E. Russell Ave., in 1964, then known as the Delaware Tap. In 1968 they renamed it At Random and transformed it into the intimate dreamscape that has survived for half a century.
When John Dye acquired Bay View’s iconic At Random, its fans were relieved that he preserved the classic Mid-Century Modern interior décor created by former owners Ron and Shirley Zeller. Photo Jennifer Kresse
Not much has changed — it retains all of its Mad Men ambiance. The wood paneling is gently illuminated by amber light shed by glass bubble lamps that hang from the ceiling. The dim lighting, along with vinyl covered booths and a fireplace like the one in Rob and Laura Petrie’s dining room, evoke Grandpa’s cool rec room.
During the Zellers’ tenure, At Random was cash-only. They accepted no credit or debit cards for their boozy, beautiful ice cream drinks and the specialty cocktails that drew people from all over Milwaukee and beyond.
In their final years in the bar, with the help of their son Randy, the Zellers operated the business keeping random hours.
By 2015, the Zellers, who by then were in their 80s, were ready to retire and sell At Random, along with five adjoining properties they owned. A developer proposed a plan to demolish them all, including At Random, and to build a 120-unit apartment complex. That deal fell through when neighborhood residents and District 14 Ald. Tony Zielinski objected.
At Random owner John Dye poses at the entrance to his iconic bar. His belt buckle is shaped like Montana, his native state. “I sometimes forget that I wear it, but nothing is more Montana than wearing a Montana belt buckle,” he said. Photo Jennifer Kresse
Enter John Dye, a Milwaukee entrepreneur known for rescuing historic businesses like Bryant’s, a cocktail lounge at 1579 S. 9th St., and the Jazz Estate, 2423 N. Murray Ave. He purchased At Random from the Zellers in September 2018. He spruced up the space and reopened At Random to a warm reception in December 2018.
Dye knows you don’t mess with success. He thinks the At Random building dates back to 1890 and said it was one a drug store, and later a tavern. There’s still a dumbwaiter in the building that hails from a previous owner who prepared the Friday fish fry in a basement kitchen and sent it up to the tavern.
The interior and exterior retain the same look and feel as it had since the 1960s. “We didn’t change a whole lot. We restored it while keeping it as original as possible,” he said. “We did more work than people realize, but it’s probably good that nobody notices it!”
That work includes the basics — cleaning, painting, and installing a new HVAC system. He reupholstered the booths with Mid-Century era vinyl from a specialty store and replaced the carpeting. Outside, in the back of the building, Dye found and restored the fountain that Zellers removed during the 1980s.
Dye let the fountain water flow for a few days after the first days of snow in November. “We winterized it a couple of weeks ago, so it will be off until spring. I’m counting the days! It was beautiful but our fountain guy advised against keeping it running through the winter since it can cause damage to the pumps,” he said.
John Dye renovated, reinstalled, and landscaped the fountain he found behind At Random. It hadn’t operated since the 1980s when the Zellers removed it. Photo Jennifer Kresse
“Ron and Shirley put their lives into At Random, and it shows,” Dye said. “It’s a wonderful space, and I feel good about taking over and keeping the same feeling. That’s important to me, to be respectful and keep it in the spirit of what they wanted.”
At Random now accepts credit and debit cards. Dye added bar seating, which was absent during the Zeller era. He emphasized that operating hours are consistent now: Monday through Saturday, 5pm to 2am, and closed Sundays.
Dye kept all the drinks from the original menu, including the ice cream drinks. He added some that are dairy-free made with locally produced almond and coconut ice cream, with coconut-based whipped topping. Customers are still able to order the popular Tiki Love Bowl, a fruity punch drink for two, served in a big pedestal bowl. He added four pages of new drinks that are more spirit-forward and less thick and sweet, like the tequila-based Matador.
First-time visitors to At Random, on the corner of Delaware and Russell, may be flummoxed if they try to enter at the front of the building, where they will find no door. The ‘front door’ is the back door, which is on the south façade of the building. Photo Katherine Keller
Does Dye have a favorite At Random drink?
“Hmm! That’s like asking me who’s a favorite child!” he laughed. “I’m a sucker for the ice cream drinks, like the Cookies and Cream or the Mexican Water Lily. I really like that one.”
One other minor change — he added Miller High Life and two wine choices. “At Random used to have beer years ago. I don’t think people realized that,” Dye said. “I think they stopped serving it in the 1980s, but we wanted that option for the uncle that just isn’t happy with anything but a High Life.”
Passion for old businesses
Dye grew up in Missoula and later lived in Helena, MT. After high school, he lived in Seattle for eight years. He attended Seattle University and received a Sociology and Psychology degree.
He came to Milwaukee in 1998 to attend graduate school at UW-Milwaukee. He studied architecture but didn’t complete the program.
He worked his way through college bartending. “I would say it was sort of a change in career, but it really wasn’t, because my passion for spaces, communities, and preservation are things I still have, and I apply those in what I do,” he said. “It’s about bringing something to a community, and that’s important for me.”
As early as childhood, he was drawn to the appearance of old buildings. “Coming from the West Coast, where so many old businesses are just memories and long gone, it was interesting to move to Milwaukee, where there are still these really unique, historic businesses here,” he said. “But over the last 20 years, a lot have closed here, too. That drives me in some way to save them so the next generation can enjoy a Tiki Love Bowl, too!”
Dye bought Bryant’s 12 years ago. He said it was on the market for a long time, just sort of sitting there, and he felt that if he didn’t save it, nobody would. He bought the Jazz Estate three years ago.
At one time, it appears that the At Random building had a front entrance that faced the Russell and Delaware intersection. Photo Katherine Keller
He fondly remembers his first visit to the classic Bay View cocktail lounge. “It was one of the first places I went to within the first month I was here,” Dye recalled. “A friend had visited, and she actually heard of it, too. We went together and it was cool. It’s such a unique space. I remember that first moment you open that door; it’s like, wow! This is something special. People still get that feeling.”
Dye estimates that about 75 percent of customers are from the neighborhood and have history with At Random. The rest are people who come for the first time.
Dye likes hearing the stories about couples who had dates there, or customers who talk about their parents or grandparents who had dates there. “Those,” he said, “are the stories that make me smile the most when they say, my parents came here.”
At Random
2501 S. Delaware Ave.
(414) 481-8030
atrandommke.com
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