© 2026 Milwaukee Public Media is a service of UW-Milwaukee's College of Letters & Science
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
WUWM is replacing our old transmitter this week. Our signal may dropout and/or not reach as far; however, our stream is not impacted. Thank you for your patience.

Are Local Chains Good or Bad for Milwaukee?

djvass
/
Flickr
The Lowlands Group have over seven restaurants in the Milwaukee area.

Not too long ago, a friend could call you up and ask if you wanted to get together for dinner at the Bel Air Cantina and you would have known exactly where to meet.  However now you’d have to ask which of three Bel Airs she’s talking about.

And that restaurant is hardly alone.  Many of Milwaukee’s best-known local restaurants have become local chains.  Good for their bottom line, but what does it mean for people deciding where to eat dinner?  Dining contributor Ann Christenson helps tackle the questions and concerns the spread of chains presents:

Ann Christenson is senior editor and dining critic at Milwaukee Magazine .

Stay Connected