Corkys closing doors in downtown Temple

May 09, 2023

A Corkys customer sits at a sidewalk table covered in stuffed Clydesdales last year when the famed horse-drawn beer wagon made a visit to Temple. Corkys was one of the featured stops. The downtown comedy club and bar will close its doors May 18. David Stone photo

Local comedian worries industry might take a hit with departure of comedy club

DAVID STONE | OUR TOWN TEMPLE

Corkys Beer & Wine, a fixture in the downtown Temple nightlife scene for more than two years, is closing its doors May 18. The business was known for premium Saturday comedy shows and one of the city’s first open mic nights every Wednesday.

Despite its short life span, Dan and Gloria Elder, owners of Corkys, were pioneers of sorts in the Temple entertainment industry. The couple brought in the first drag shows in years and the first ever all Spanish comedy shows.

“Corkys was never profitable,” Dan Elder said. “The personal expense of keeping the doors open has only become worse with the downtown construction, the declining economy and escalating labor costs. We have been in the red every quarter since we opened, and we saw no relief in the future. We opted to cut our losses.”

The Elders said they are saddened by the need to close the business.

“We offered a good service to the community, but unfortunately our level of service was unsustainable for the time,” he said. “Two days of business is not enough to keep good people, deliver high quality entertainment, and pay people what they are worth in this job market. That goes for bartenders, servers, comics, musicians, entertainers and team leads.”

“We never took a penny and always paid our own tabs, and we kept it afloat for more than two years with no relief in sight,” Dan Elder said. “Gloria and I are weary from carrying the heavy load.”

Mysia Chabert, a comedy show producer and entertainer who often performed and hosted shows at Corkys, said she was saddened by the news of the closing.

“I hope other Temple businesses or establishments step forward to host comedy shows,” she said. “The local comedy scene has grown by leaps and bounds, and I really hate to see it take a hit.”