In 1990 Eau Claire, there was a cafe/restaurant/music venue called the Breadline that wasn't doing too well. A man named Clay Crowley, who had worked as a bartender at Downtown Express, offered to help the Breadline with the rent if he could use the place as a bar at night. Thus on March 1st, 1991 the "Back Door" opened as a gay bar: there was a sign on the front with the original business name (Breadline), while the rear door faced a public parking lot.

The 'Back Door' began to appear in the Guide of the state's primary LGBT periodical, 'In Step' magazine, in issue 8-12 (June 20, 1991).

The bar must have found some success, and by April 1992 Clay Crowley had taken over the lease and held a "name the bar" contest- with the winning name being 'Scruples', that name first appearing in 'In Step' magazine's Guide starting in the August-September 1992 issue (vol. 9-17).

Listings for the bar in the state's LGBT media took some time to be updated; for a time, the business was listed twice, under both the new and old bar names (see examples below). The last listing as "Back Door' was in the Guide of 'In Step' magazine in issue 10-07 (April, 1993).

As of April 2022, an LGBT bar continues to operate in this space-- since 1996 under the name Scooters.

More information about this business is welcome from anyone who can contribute same.