Meet the father and son launching a new gay bar in Denver

Trey and his father, Tyler Stewart, on the site of the soon-to-launch SIR in Denver
Trey and his father, Tyler Stewart, on the site of the soon-to-launch SIR in Denver (Photo: Hunter Munnerlyn)

A gay man and his dad are following up on the success of their first LGBTQ venue with a new opening.

Trey Stewart and his father, Tyler, will be launching SIR in Denver in a couple of months. It’s their second bar together after Mr. Misster in Dallas.

Some of you may already recognize son, Trey, 25. Before launching his own business, he was an assistant for Real Housewives of Dallas star Stephanie Hollman, and he appeared on seasons two through four of the show. He also now runs a podcast with her and another of the show’s housewives, Brandi Redmond.

Related: This mural of a naked man just went up on an iconic San Francisco gay bar

Trey was raised in the Dallas/Fort Worth area and still resides there most of the time.

“I opened Mr. Misster two years ago when I was 23 with the help of my dad and a few friends that knew way more about the bar industry than I did at the time,” he tells GayCities.

“We opened Mr. Misster in Dallas’ infamous “Gayborhood” in June 2019 with a whole lot of faith and a passion to bring something new to the Dallas LGBTQ+ community.”

 

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As we all know now, opening a new hospitality business in the middle of 2019 was to prove a baptism in fire. About eight months after opening, the team was informed they’d have to shut their doors because of the Covid pandemic.

“It was in those few months that, while my faith that we would survive closure wasn’t always the strongest, my passion and desire to still bring something new to the LGBTQ+ community grew even stronger!” explains Trey. Mr. Misster has now, thankfully, reopened and is doing great business.

“Taking a step back for a moment during the closure, I was able to see the impact that we had on the community in those short few months as they rallied around our business and our bartenders to make sure that we were able to re-open our doors as quickly as possible.

“Through that, I knew I wanted to do more and I wanted to replicate the same impact that we were able to have on the city that I call home, in other great cities with a community that I love so much.

“Being gay myself, I know there is something special about having a place to go where you feel accepted and ‘at home’.”

Related: Here’s why this San Diego dive bar has been a gay magnet since the 1940s

Trey and his father visited Denver and noticed similarities between the two cities. They decided it would make the perfect location for their second venue. It will be called SIR and will be taking over space previously occupied by the long-running Vesta at 1822 Blake Street. That business closed last summer due to the pandemic.

“For me, SIR is going to be Mr. Misster’s bigger, cooler older brother,” says Trey. “We are taking a lot of the same values and concepts that we have seen success with in Dallas and adding a twist to them.

“We have hired an incredible chef that has curated and wonderful happy hour, dinner and brunch menu that I am very excited to share, which is going to be an entirely new challenge for us.”

An artist's impression of the soon-to-open SIR in Denver
An artist’s impression of the soon-to-open SIR in Denver

SIR will occupy a 4,500-square-foot space, making it approximately twice the size of Mr. Misster. The venue is now being worked up, with the Denver-based Shike Design helping design the space.

With the food side of the business, it’s a considerably bigger operation for the pair, but Trey is relishing the challenge. Dad Tyler owned some restaurants while Trey was growing up, so his experience is invaluable. They launched Mr. Misster with a couple of other investors but will have full control over SIR.

Trey Stewart
Trey Stewart (Photo: Hunter Munnerlyn)

What’s it like launching a gay-themed business with your dad?

“I am very grateful to have such an incredibly supportive father and business partner that not only listens to my ideas and the impact I want to have on the LGBTQ+ community but also shares that same passion to add to the LGBTQ+ community,” replies Trey, who says his dad often visits Mr. Misster with his girlfriend.

“While it was an adjustment at first to be talking to a cute guy in the bar and then have your dad walk in with a few of his friends and take over the dance floor, I know how incredibly lucky I am to have such a supportive father because that’s not always the case.

“Through our years at Mr. Misster, watching my dad become a father figure to some of our customers that don’t get to share the same relationship with their own father is really special to me and something I am very proud of!”

“What I wasn’t ready for was someone explaining to him what a ‘top’ and ‘bottom’ were,” he recalls. “I’m also pretty sure someone gave him poppers one day…”

SIR is due to open in Denver in November. You can check out Mr Misster in Dallas at 3900 Cedar Springs Road.

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