If you have lived in Milwaukee for more than three weeks, chances are you have heard of, or run into, Steve Vento. He is a local legend. For a year, Steve worked at Nacho Mama's. A short person, he schmoozed the customers and walked around wearing a hat with chips in it. It didn't take long for the media to move in.
Recently, Steve began working at Have a Nice Day Café, a brand new nightclub located at 1101 N. Old World Third St. (wait until you read what he does there). OnMilwaukee.com sat down with Steve to chat about fame, dipping chips, pimps, his son and more ...
OMC: When did you start working at Have a Nice Day Cafe?
SV: I started working there three weeks ago. They started out eight years ago and now they have 50 locations (of four different concepts) throughout the country. Milwaukee is the newest one. They found me through all the advertisements from Nacho Mama's, and they approached me. They said that they heard I had quite an impact in Milwaukee and were interested in hiring me. And I love that place.
OMC: What's so great about Have a Nice Day Café?
SV: It's a 70's disco, which is perfect for my age (41). Everything is '70s. Even the dance floor is like "Saturday Night Fever." All '70s memorabilia on the wall. I'm the house pimp. I dress up as a '70s pimp. It's a blast, and it's probably the hottest party place in Milwaukee right now and we've only been open three weeks. All our staff dresses in the '70s. It's just a great, fun place.
OMC: So it's a nightclub?
SV: It's a nightclub. We're only open Wednesday through Saturday. Wednesday night we always have some type of promotion. Thursday is ladies' night. We open at 8 p.m. and stay open until bar time. From the time we open the doors until the time we close it is wall to wall people. It's varied in age as well. We get them 21 and 22 all the way up to my age and 60 and over.
OMC: What exactly do you do there?
SV: My job is to make sure everybody has fun. My job is doing what I am doing now. Getting the advertisements. Pumping the place up. I want to make sure that everyone walking out that door had the time of their life. I pour upside down shots and dance with the ladies. I get on the bar and dance. It's no holds barred there and you can do anything you want. I would advise everybody to come there.
OMC: Are you still working at Nacho Mama's?
Steve: No. I haven't been working at Nacho Mama's since last November.
OMC: Did you part on friendly terms?
SV: Very friendly terms. We had a one-year contract.
OMC: How did you get the job?
SV: I heard an advertisement on the radio. They were looking for short people. I called the radio station to get the telephone number of the owner. I called him up and we met for lunch. Twenty minutes later we were sitting down and negotiating the contract.
OMC: What made you want to work at Nacho Mama's?
SV: I've been in the entertainment business most of my life; since I was 12 years old. I was the Hamburglar for McDonald's, and I was Big Boy for Big Boy Restaurants. I was Mr. Yuck for the National Poison Society. I've done stand-up comedy for over 15 years.
OMC: Did you enjoy it?
SV: Absolutely. I had a great time. The best thing about it was all the beautiful women. They were eating chips out of my hat and they couldn't see what I was looking at underneath that visor.
OMC: Did you work at Nacho Mama's full time?
SV: Oh yeah. I was at the restaurant six nights a week.
OMC: Do you miss Nacho Mama's?
SV: No. I have moved on to bigger and better things now. It was fun. I had the contract with them, and I enjoyed it, and I moved on.
OMC: Not that you can be replaced, but have they tried to find someone else?
SV: No. That's all done with.
OMC: So it was just a year for them, too?
SV: Right. As a matter of fact, I believe that they only had a three-year lease. And their lease is up. They're building a seven-story parking lot (where Nacho Mama's is). They're not being forced out. They knew this going in.
OMC: Do you know if they plan on moving somewhere else?
SV: I have no idea. Outside of seeing those people once in a while socially, I have no business involvement with them anymore.
OMC: During your year at the restaurant, how many people dipped their chips in your hat?
SV: Probably 3 to 4 million. I've had people come from all over the world. People have come from London, Australia, Italy, and Germany. I made "CNN World News." I was on "Entertainment Tonight," "Good Morning America," "Extra," "Hard Copy," "American Journal," "Sally Jesse Raphael," and the list goes on and on.
OMC: All in the year you worked there?
SV: All in the year I worked there. I probably did over 500 radio stations throughout the entire country.
OMC: How does everyone find out about you?
SV: Because I have some local TV and radio friends, I had them come to the restaurant on opening night and it made the UPI wire. We opened on a Wednesday and on Thursday I was on the front page of the Chicago Tribune and in The New York Times. It was interview after interview. All day and all night long. As a matter of fact, it ran me rugged. I'd get home at 2 or 3 o'clock in the morning from Nacho Mama's and at 5:30, 6 o'clock in the morning radio stations from the West Coast and the East Coast were calling me.
OMC: That must have been a fun year. And Nacho Mama's must have loved you.
SV: It was. But it cost me my marriage. I was never home. But the restaurant loved me. They knew what they were doing and I knew what I was doing. I told them I like the concept and let me run with the advertisements and we'll be just fine.
OMC: And you really enjoy doing radio and television?
SV: I love that type of stuff. As a matter of fact, tomorrow I'm going to Chicago to do the Jonathan Brandmeyer show (a syndicated talk show). They're having a big blowout at the House of Blues in Chicago.
OMC: What kind of TV show or radio appearances have you done lately?
SV: This past May I had a role in a movie called "Paint My House." It's a B movie, like "Revenge of the Nerds." I think it will be out sometime next spring.
OMC: Where did you go to film that?
SV: I was in Chicago and Los Angeles. I had two different scenes and a pretty decent part. It's a comedy about three college students that live together and they owe money to a bookie. They have three days to come up with the money so they get a job painting a house. And I play the part of the bookie. I've done a lot of commercials and bit parts in movies, but this is my first speaking part.
OMC: How did you enjoy working on the movie?
SV: It was great. I was working with comics that I have known for years. It was basically a reunion to see who could party the hardest.
OMC: Where are you from originally?
SV: Originally I'm from Milwaukee. I'm a lifer. I was born and raised on the East Side of Milwaukee and I still live on the East Side.
OMC: Is it difficult living in Milwaukee and having all of these appearances around the world?
SV: Not so much. I have lived in Las Vegas and New York for the work. But I hate Los Angeles. I always come back home. I love it here. I have been to every city in every state in this country. And Milwaukee is the best-kept secret.
OMC: What are your favorite things about Milwaukee?
SV: We've got all the big city entertainment and fun without all the big city crime. In the summer it's a 90-day party. There is always some festival going on. There is not a better place than Milwaukee in the summer. In January and February there's a little bit to be desired, but you take the good with the bad.
OMC: What do you do for fun if you're not working?
SV: I spend it with my kid. I have a 9-year-old son and every free moment I spend with him.
OMC: What do you guys like to do?
SV: We fish, we go biking, we go boating, we go to Wisconsin Dells, and we go to movies. We're buddies. All of my fun comes from my son.
OMC: What was the last movie you saw?
SV: I saw "The Kid" with my kid. It was good. I'm a Bruce Willis fan.
OMC: What's your favorite TV show?
SV: I would have to say "Frasier." I love the dry sense of humor.
OMC: How long would you last on "Survivor?"
SV: I think I'd make it all the way. I have the endurance and I know how to rough it. I'd be able to suck the other people in.
OMC: Outside of Have a Nice Day Café, what are your future plans?
SV: I never know. Being in entertainment, it's feast or famine. I just started with Have a Nice Day and I signed a year contract. Everything I do is by the year. I don't want to tie my career up, especially since I'm getting older. I'm still looking for my big break. I've had quite a few good breaks, but I'm looking for that big one. I want my Oscar. I deserve one. I want to act in a sitcom and/or feature film.
Photography by Theresa Kopac
