MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) - As Downtown Madison undergoes a wave of change, the closure of longtime bar Churchkey marks the end of an era for one of the city’s most iconic corners.
For decades, the building on University Avenue has been a reliable stop for students, locals and visitors alike. It’s just the latest in a string of closures reshaping the downtown bar scene — and for some, it’s hard not to feel the shift.
“That used to be Goeden’s Seafood Market right next to it… There used to be the Black Bear Lounge, Bear’s Den Bar,” said Bobby Dunn, 62. He’s lived in Madison his whole life and spent years working in and around many of these bars. “And the only business that’s still down here — that’s still original — is Bill’s Key Shop. Oh, the Churchkey too.”
Even for those who’ve moved away, places like Churchkey still mean something.
Connor Jones flew back to Madison from Phoenix for his bachelor party — and it was Churchkey where everything came together.
“All of the friends I’ve met through my entire life… all together in Churchkey. It was one of the best nights of my life,” he said.
But coming home also meant seeing how much had changed.
“My dad always told me something. He said: ‘When you come back to Madison, we’re going to keep it the exact same as how I left it.’ And that’s always stuck with me. But now... it’s not the same. That sentiment that’s lasted for 40 years is going away.”
At the same time, new businesses are stepping into old footprints. Just down the street, a new bar called Moon Bar is preparing to open in the former Danny’s Pub space.
“We had a great time here. We spent a lot of time in bars,“ said Jeff Rood, a UW-Madison alum who is opening the business with his wife. ”We wanted to make sure that the next generation of kids that were coming to school here had an opportunity to experience the same thing.”
Rood says Moon Bar won’t stray far from the formula.
“We’re going to have a lot of live music, DJs, full dinner menu… Not trying to reinvent the wheel — just put our spin on it,” he said.
The shift is part of a broader trend seen across downtown Madison.
“Certainly, losing establishments like Danny’s Pub, like Nick’s, like Bowser’s Books — it’s hard. It’s very hard,” said Jason Ilstrup, president of Downtown Madison Inc. “These are beloved institutions in the downtown and in our whole community. But with those changes, bring new locations and new ideas and new retail and restaurants that will help them.”
Ilstrup says downtowns are naturally evolving — and Madison is no exception.
“Downtowns by nature are very organic. You see a lot of change,” he said. “What we love to see though is these businesses that were owned by our local community friends — they’re family owned — are continuing in the new generations with new restaurants.”
He points to newer locally owned places like Ashirwad, Dinotto, Casetta, and Candy Cloud as examples of what’s next.
“So with all of the changeover, we’re certainly going to miss these establishments that we love so much, but it’s fun to see the new locations and create new memories at these new places around downtown.”
That includes the block Church Key sits on, which Ilstrup described as “bedrock” for downtown nightlife — and one that continues to evolve.
Still, for people like Dunn and Jones, it’s about more than just the buildings. It’s about the places they grew up with — and the memories made inside them.
“Every place that gets replaced just kind of chips away at your heart a little bit,” Jones said.
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