GetOut Magazine

Check out the Library – Tempe's hottest new nightclub
By KELLY WILSON
Get Out
Dec. 5, 2002

While Missy Elliot's new single "Work It" blasts on the stereo system, women dressed in scant Catholic schoolgirl uniforms heed the call by dancing on the bar a la "Coyote Ugly" with choreographed dance moves that rival Christina Aguilera's.

A crowd of young men watches in amazement as a couple of women customers, bouncing their heads to the beat, jump on the bar and shake it with the staff of downtown Tempe's new Library Bar & Grill.

Even the passers-by on Mill Avenue can't help but stop and gawk.

Besides the female servers' uniforms, the Library creates a scholarly vibe with its decor. More than 5,000 books which were donated when the bar held a beer-for-books promotion prior to its Nov. 22 opening line the walls of shelves. Pictures of rock greats like Ozzy Osbourne and Red Hot Chili Peppers' Anthony Kiedis add a rock n roll flavor to the academic setting.

At first glance, the Library may seem a little sexist, especially since male employees wear T-shirts and jeans. But the venue, which includes three bars and a spacious setup, wants to draw as many female customers as males.

We're trying to sift through the guys and make sure we're being extra attentive to our female customers, says bartender Victoria Rivas, 21, of Phoenix. We're going to make them feel like queens. If there's a pack of guys and one girl at the bar, I'll go over to the girl.

Rivas says the staff encourages women to join them on the bar when they dance.

We want everyone to feel welcome here, she says.

Server Lisa Vetere agrees.

Each night I'm seeing more and more girls, says the 20-year-old Tempe resident. We like it when the girls dance on the bar with us. . . . Our job is to throw a party and get people to have fun. And we get to have fun while we're working.

First-time customer Debbie Roberts, 39, of Tempe says she initially was put off by the Library.

But then you meet the waitresses and they're too cute, she says. They don't make you feel uncomfortable. It's really not a Hooters atmosphere at all. I went to a Catholic school, so this kind of brings back fond memories.

Dina Tseffos, 30, of Tempe says she thinks the bar, formerly the home of BD's Mongolian BBQ, will be a gold mine.

The location was so many different things, she says. I think this is going to work. They're targeting the right demographic. And they're just so nice here.

While the women make friends with some of the employees, the men seem content to simply look at them.

I really like the uniforms the employees wear, says Dylan Burns, 26, of Mesa. It's a cool atmosphere.

I love it here, says Sean Adams, 28, of Tempe. I would definitely come back. And the servers' outfits I think they're going to attract a lot of people. How could they not? I like the idea of drinking at the library.

The Library Bar & Grill

Where: 501 S. Mill Ave., Tempe
When: 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. daily
How much: No cover
Entrees: $6-$11
Draft beer: $2-$4
Happy hour: 5 to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday with 2 for 1 burgers
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