Happy holidays to you Tristan, it has been quite a year! Where are you currently?
I am spending the holiday in Puerto Vallarta, my home away from home. I’ll be out on the water with friends during the day and at night, I’ll host a Christmas dinner.
Let’s talk a bit about MISTR. You have two locations on Santa Monica Blvd. The corner of Westbourne appears to be ready to open; the corner of San Vicente appears to be closed. Do you have plans to activate both locations?
We’ll be using the space at San Vicente as a platform to highlight LGBTQ+ brands, partners and groups. The location on Westbourne is almost ready to open and will be a storefront offering same-day PEP, the ability to pick-up one’s PrEP and injectables and other services.
And now you are the proprietor of The Abbey and Chapel. Congratulations again. It’s only the first month, but what has surprised or enchanted you since your purchase?
David Cooley is the proprietor of The Abbey and The Chapel until the liquor license transfers over in a few months. When we announced our agreement, I was overwhelmed by the outpouring of support from the community. The Abbey means a lot of things, to a lot of different people. I was happy to hear from so many different friends and acquaintances who all had a story to share about The Abbey.
You’re quite the entrepreneur. Tell us about how you got started in your first business … was it e-ticketing?
I started ID90, originally as an Expedia-type service for airline personnel. It was a way for hoteliers to sell last minute inventory to airline employees, who travel for free and often at the last minute. Shortly after starting the company, there was a change in regulations that required all employees traveling to have e-tickets and our platform helped airlines do that. We have several major airlines as customers and help their employees book their travel.
And you also own the legendary Circo Nightclub and Tryst Hotel in Puerto Rico. Any plans to add an Abbey component … or a Circo nightclub or Tryst Hotel in West Hollywood or the LA area?
Circo is kind of like The Abbey of Puerto Rico. It closed down and we’re reviving it. Circo is legendary in Puerto Rico and I’m investing a lot to reinvent it into something special. I am working on several opportunities to expand The Abbey brand outside of West Hollywood. Stayed tuned
What about you? What is your home base?
I live full time in Puerto Rico. I’ll be spending New Year’s Eve at White Party Bangkok. I wanted to try something different as next year, I’ll probably either be at The Abbey or Circo for New Year’s Eve.
Are you partnered? Or the most eligible bachelor in the land?
I am in a throuple. I’ve been with my partner Melvin for 5 years and about a year ago, Brian joined us. You can see lots of pictures of us together on my Instagram.
View this post on Instagram
Anything special you would like to share with your fans and the community at large?
Thank you again and wishing all a safe and healthy holiday.
This Schukraft guy seems nice and well-grounded.He looks to be in his 30s,so I don’t think he is some fly-by-night operator.He already owns the two clubs in Puerto Rico ,so he is experienced with the nightlife and how to deal with it. This guy with all his world traveling makes David Cooley look like a homebody.However,I think the traveling would be helpful in dealing with all kinds of people that you would find in the nightclub business. I think the community should give him a chance to prove himself.If there are issues,I am sure the community will be hollering for… Read more »
Tristin is a stand up guy, ran for West Hollywood City Council, lived in WeHo for years and years and still investing in WeHo. He has nothing to prove to anybody. It all of us who need to be thankful that he kept the Abbey ‘in the family’.
Odd exchange….not very probing or newsworthy. He has had those two MISTR locations for well over a year if not longer. Why not ask why have they sat empty for so long?? What caused the opening delays? What does a using the space as a platform for LGBTQ brands actually mean? Regarding the Abbey, why not ask how he plans to manage the business remotely. Is he currently interviewing for a new on site management team. Does he expect to spend considerably more time in LA next year making changes, upgrading the space and increasing marketing and promotion OR will… Read more »
I don’t know how someone successfully runs a restaurant-bar in WEHO while living full time in Puerto Rico while galavanting to Puerto Vallarta and Thailand and all over the world. Running a restaurant and bar is one of the most difficult businesses out there. There is staff turnover, there is theft, there is cost overruns and unexpected emergencies. I sure hope he hires one heck of a good manager because he will need it. At least David Cooley lived in LA and was able to be at the Abbey at a moments notice. Gay bars are constant drama. Good luck… Read more »
Lots of successful people in the food and hospitality industry have locations globally. He is keeping the current Abbey team on, so the transition should be seamless.
You are correct Kevin but there are also lots of very unsuccessful people in the food and hospitality industry. Some of the most famous restauranteur’s had to close restaurants. I hope he is successful but it’s going to take a lot of hard work.
The Abbey hasn’t been a traditional gay bar for years. It morphed into something unrecognizable.
Hopefully he’ll clean up the Abbey. It is so dirty and run down. Go take a look especially when there’s light in the daytime.
Not surprised, but disappointed that the new “owner” won’t be living in West Hollywood. I’m also still wondering how Mistr makes money.
Why does he have to live in Weho? Good for him on living outside of the country and still profiting off the locals in LA. Good man!
Puerto Rico is not living “outside of the country”. It is a U.S. territory.
Sounds like you don’t care about West Hollywood and its community. That’s disappointing. When we don’t care about our community, other people take it over.
Tristan cares enough to invest a big pile of money to own and ultimately up-grade the Abbey. He has lived in West Hollywood so he is not exactly a carpetbagger. I am grateful that the Abbey will still be gay owned and operated.
While that might be true, I’d rather have a non-gay proprietor who was actually involved with the community. In fact, gays like him are a bad example for the rest of the world and the younger generation. I know this scene well, there’s lots of drugs, addictions, exploitation, scams, no real loving relationships and young men (usually from Asia or Latin America) are taken advantage of and thrown out later. Trust me, nothing good is happening at a White Party in Thailand.
You sound both out of touch with the business world today, but also just bitter.
I know too much, that’s the real problem.
Such self-loathing being projected.
You can try to find excuses, but everything I said is true.
Aren’t you just s breath of fresh air 🙄