Milwaukee Company Entering Scooter Market

It will still be several weeks until people are able to hop on a dockless scooter in Milwaukee. But when they finally are, a new company with Milwaukee ties is likely to be in the mix.

The city approved the electric scooters’ return in late June with a Department of Public Works (DPW) official telling the Common Council that private companies could deploy scooters as soon as early August. That return has now been delayed.

“We anticipate late August or early September the scooters will be out,” said a DPW spokesperson via email Thursday to Urban Milwaukee. Unlike prior one-year “studies,” the latest legalization lasts through December 2023.

Previously DPW authorized venture capital-backed companies Bird, Lime and Spin to deploy their rentable scooters in Milwaukee. Now a company led by a Milwaukee businessman is in the mix.

Blue Duck launched in San Antonio in 2018 with a focus on southern cities and college campuses, growing to 10 locations. Milwaukee entrepreneur Johnny Vassallo joined the board in 2020 and became CEO in spring 2021 amidst a pandemic-induced slowdown in business. In December, Texas Public Radio reported Blue Duck was exploring bankruptcy and Vassallo told the station that it had already shuttered its San Antonio office.

Now Blue Duck is quietly re-emerging in Milwaukee. On Dec. 30 “Bluer Duck LLC” was registered with the state and given an address associated with Vassallo’s other businesses. The registered agent is Debra Stephenson, the chief operating officer of Vassallo’s Mo’s Restaurants group. On July 22, Bluer Duck applied for an occupancy permit to open a storefront at 162 W. Wisconsin Ave., the first floor of the MKE Lofts building in which Vassallo is an investor.

The purpose of the office? “Rental of Electronic scooters from a storefront property in conjunction with the micromobility program in the city so riders with non smart phone or cash access can have access to the devices,” says the permit request.

Scooters were spotted being loaded into the space that same day.

Is Blue Duck going to be operating in Milwaukee? DPW declined to identify any of the operators.

“We’ve been in touch with the selected vendors and communicating with them as to when they expect to be ready to launch,” the spokesperson said.

A representative of Blue Duck listed on the occupancy permit declined to speak with Urban Milwaukee. A message to their general email mailbox went unanswered.