With the many options for outside dining, on rooftops, or in gardens, Milwaukee summers are a great time to try new food. But while this summer has brought many new restaurants to town, there have also been some major closings. A number of restaurants have also moved to new locations.
Dining editor for On Milwaukee, Lori Fredrich offers insight on Soup Brothers noteworthy decision to close this past July. The Walker’s Point establishment closed after 24 years of business and after surviving the pandemic. Frederich cites the closing as a result of the owner deciding it was time to retire “before things lose their shine.”
“So he’s actually looking forward to retirement, but his freshly made bread and lovely soup will definitely be missed by many,” says Frederich.
However, many other establishments are closing due to COVID-19’s effects. Places like Brown Bottle, a restaurant that dates back to 1938, has closed due to staffing issues and rising costs. Frederich also notes their speakeasy-like location worked against them regarding foot traffic.
“I think there are kind of three [reasons for closures]: one of them is staffing, one of them is inflation and costs, and the other one is landlords and rent.”
While many locations across Milwaukee will close, such as Milwaukee Ale House and Maria’s Pizza, the city is still seeing restaurants return and reopen. For example, Bavette La Boucherie, a local butcher in the Third Ward, was re-opened by chef Karen Bell after moving it a block and a half down the road. The restaurant initially opened as a small butcher shop and cafe, but with its success the establishment needed room to grow.
“I think anybody who goes there to the new place will actually really, really enjoy it. It's beautiful,” says Fredrich.
Other relocating restaurants include Alphonso’s The Original, now open in West Allis, and Comet Cafe, located on the lower east side. Milwaukee is also starting to see some new restaurants enter the city, like Saffron, high-end Indian cuisine in the Third Ward.
“This is some of the first high-end Indian dining that we have seen, really in the city. So something definitely something new. Beautiful, beautiful interior, lovely food. And so anyone who loves Indian food, definitely you should, should make it a point to check that out,” says Fredrich.
