New Bar For ‘Upper East’ Side

Upper East Bar, 1732 E. North Ave. Photo by Graham Kilmer.

In July of 2021, Urban Milwaukee reported that Upper East Bar would be opening on the corner of North Ave. and Oakland Ave., in the former home of the now-closed The Eastsider bar. The wait is over, and Upper East Bar is now open. Its owner is Cord Harris, an attorney and owner of a Milwaukee realtor. Maredithe Meyer reports: 

Like its predecessor, Upper East Bar will serve alcohol only. On the menu patrons will find local craft beer on tap and in bottles, a rotating wine list, and a selection of craft cocktails coming soon.

The space has been renovated with a new 15-line tap system, updated bathrooms, new plumbing and HVAC, as well as fresh paint, five large-screen TVs, and new bar stools. Work was done by both Harris as well as the previous tenant, BaccaNera Enoteca cocktail bar, which was only open for a little more than a year before falling victim to the COVID-19 pandemic in late 2020. 

Upper East Bar will be open Tuesday through Sunday, from 2 p.m. to close on weekdays and 11 a.m. to close on weekends.

Beer, Wine and Cocktail Bar For Oak Creek

A new bar in Oak Creek is offering guests a chance to enjoy a drink next to a cozy, stone fireplace in a building with Northwoods cabin vibes. D’vine, located at 7228 S. 27th St., is now open in the former Three Cellars space. Erik S. Hanley reports: 

Instead of only barstools, tables and chairs, D’Vine has created a lounge setting allowing patrons to kick back and relax on a comfortable couch or chair near one of the fireplaces. It’s not necessarily the style of drinking establishment you’d close out at 2 a.m., but rather gather with friends for a relaxing evening, the couple said.

While 20 craft beers are offered, food is not on tap directly from D’Vine. It can be delivered through other local partnerships, Johnson said, such as Vivere Italian Restaurant on East Rawson Avenue. He said his goal is to partner with restaurants that can get the food delivered in the same amount of time as if it was made on-site.

A small store inside D’Vine offers local brews for sale, such as Panther Pilsner from UW-Milwaukee/Milwaukee Brewing Co. Unique handmade crafts and other gifts will also be available to purchase including creations from WL Woodworking.

Downtown Hotel and Restaurant Planned

Uncle Wolfie’s Breakfast Tavern, the popular family-owned breakfast tavern located at 234 E. Vine St., announced via an Instagram post that the restaurant has plans to open a second restaurant. The restaurant, which will be named The Wolf on Broadway, is a partnership between Uncle Wolfie’s owners Wolfgang and Whitney Schaefer and Kinn Guesthouse, a boutique Bay View hotel. Jeramey Jannene has the story:

Chef Kristen Schwab will create the menu and serve as executive chef. She was previously chef de cuisine at DanDan. She previously worked at Odd Duck and launched the frozen dumpling brand Phat Dumpling.

Three Sixty will design the restaurant interior according to an Instagram post.

The 32-room hotel is expected to open later this year. Owner Charles Bailey announced plans for the hotel in 2019. It’s his second Milwaukee hotel, following his “wildly successful” Bay View operation. The downtown project includes the redevelopment of a four-story office building originally constructed in 1868. 

Pizza Shuttle Becomes Employee Owned

Mark Gold and Louis Siecinski  have owned Pizza Shuttle for 37 years. Now, that ownership will transition to the pizzeria’s employees as Gold and Siecinski are retiring from the pizza business. Graham Kilmer has the scoop: 

The plan is to transition 50% of the company to employees over the next 10 years, and 80% of the company within 15 to 20 years. Employees will collectively earn 10% stock in the company for four years of continuous service.

In the meantime, Pizza Shuttle will hire a new president and Jessica Gold – Mark Gold’s daughter – will serve as general manager.

The restaurant has a staff of 80 base employees, according to a press release. If the employee ownership model sounds interesting, and you’re willing to put in some time, Pizza Shuttle is hiring.