The Gay 90s, Missoula
Pub Date: 1/1/2003
Though Barbara Lambrecht, managing owner of the Gay 90's Lounge hails from Billings, her roots in Missoula community life run deep.
Lambrecht's father, George Lackman, a former agricultural official in state government, purchased the tavern in 1968.
Meanwhile, Barb Lambrecht was pursuing a career as an elementary school teacher in Billings. But, in 1976, Barb and her husband Dick, took a look at her parent's bar. "It was a nice place," she says, "a neighborhood bar, not a dive, so we decided to give it a go."
Though the trajectory from elementary school to tavern doesn't seem the most logical, Lambrecht, too, said she has no regrets about her career change.
"A neighborhood bar is a kind of rock, a solid foundation for a lot of people. I genuinely care for all the people who come in here. As a result, I get that care back from them."
Lambrecht's concern goes well beyond the confines of her customers, however. She says that charitable giving should be a priority for any business owner, but perhaps for none more than a tavern operator, whose product, though enjoyable, can also have potentially harmful effects when abused.
"I lean heavily toward any charity that helps children or anyone else who could've been affected by my business," she explains.
While Lambrecht is hesitant to place a specific dollar amount on her charitable giving, she does say, with a laugh, "My accountant thinks I'm generous."
Lambrecht donates annually to the Missoula Food Bank'; the YWCA's program for victims of domestic violence'; the Watson Children's Shelter'; Missoula Aging Services, a program which helps the elderly or infirm with programs like Meals on Wheels'; and Energy Share, a program that subsidizes power bills for those who can't afford it.
Lambrecht says these are just some of the organizations she gives to formally.
"I get asked a lot for donations that aren't connected to organized charities," she explains. "Like the other day, someone in the community got diagnosed with cancer.
"Some friends came in and said they were going to have a function to raise money. I gave a cash donation. If there were going to be an auction, I'd get together a liquor basket.
"Tavern owners are caring people and the community knows it. We have people on the doorstep or on the phone every day asking us to donate or sponsor a team of some sort."
Lambrecht says her employees and customers get involved in the spirit of giving, too.
They collected socks for the Poverello Center (a short-term homeless shelter) a few years ago, bought food for a needy family last year, and recently purchased gifts for 37 residents of a local nursing home.
"We do what we can," she says. "We want to help, and usually, we can do something."
Source: Special Reports, Jan. 2002, published by Continental Communications, 125 W. Granite, Suite 102, Butte, MT 59701.