The Grand Opening of Le C’s Tea House
Plus: Copper Turtle Brewery & Taverne opens in Third Ward and farewell, for now, to SlyFox.
Site of Le C’s Tea House, 1956-1962 N. Farwell Ave. Photo taken Jan. 6, 2023 by Sophie Bolich.
Lower East Siders in search of a sweet pick-me-up now have a new option at Le C’s Tea House, the neighborhoods newest go-to spot for boba, fruit teas and pastries.
The new business, 1956 N. Farwell Ave., began its soft opening phase at the turn of the new year and welcomed guests for its grand opening on Friday, Jan. 6.
Despite the dreary weather, a steady stream of customers made their way into the shop to enjoy a cozy respite and choose from Le C’s countless beverage options.
The cafe also serves snacks such as pastries and breads.
All items are packaged to-go, but customers are welcome to stay and sip, seated at one of several small tables placed along the cafe’s northern wall.
The Le C’s space, formerly occupied by Custom Tattoo, is flanked by Stone Bowl Grill and Rice N Roll Bistro. The refreshed interior is clean and modern, with green and white walls, floating shelves stocked with lush plants and cheerful balloons propped up in its front windows.
The Tea House is open daily from 11 a.m. until 9 p.m.
Photos
Copper Turtle Brewery and Taverne Is Now Open
Milwaukee’s newest brewery is officially open in time for the first weekend of 2023. After a brief, soft-opening phase over the holiday week, The Copper Turtle Brewery and Taverne opened its doors Tuesday, Jan. 3, bringing its freshly-brewed beers, wine and cocktails to the Historic Third Ward neighborhood.
The brewery and tavern has been in the works since early 2022 at 330 E. Menomonee St., at the former site of Bavette La Boucherie. The butcher shop and cafe relocated to 217 N. Broadway in April.
Copper Turtle’s production facility is located in the contiguous commercial space that was last home to a real estate office.
Owner Ben Rossi said he originally hoped to open the brewery in late summer, before the onset of Wisconsin winter. Instead, Rossi had to confront the old adage that good things take time, delaying the launch several months to allow for supply chain holdups.
SlyFox Cocktail Bar Seeks New Location
After six months in business near the corner of Van Buren and Brady Street, SlyFox cocktail bar will vacate its space adjacent to Sticky Rice, with plans to find a new, long-term location.
The bar, which opened July 2022 at 1692 N. Van Buren St., had been subleasing its location and was unable to come to an agreement with the landlords for re-signing, said Andrew Logman, managing partner at SlyFox, in a Dec. 30 social media post.
Although the timing isn’t ideal, the post continued, “the SlyFox team has decided finding a new location is the best decision for the long term prospects of the bar.”
“It’s disappointing to move locations so soon after opening,” Logman told Urban Milwaukee. “But myself and the ownership group believe it’s the correct move to make for the future health of the business.”
Milwaukee’s First Scooter’s Coffee Planned for Southwest Side
A vacant lot in Milwaukee’s Green Moor neighborhood would become the site of the city’s first Scooter’s Coffee drive-thru under a new proposal.
The Omaha-based coffee and breakfast chain plans to expand its footprint with a new location near the intersection of W. Forest Home Ave. and S. 60th St. on a vacant site currently addressed as 6023-6141 W. Forest Home Ave.
A building permit review request indicates that a franchisee plans to construct a new, 664-square-foot building and 16-car drive-thru on the oddly-shaped lot. The future business would be flanked by AutoZone to the east and a pet training center and auto parts store to the west. A strip mall containing a coin laundromat, Anytime Fitness and several other businesses is located directly south.
Married couple Don and Linda Eckles founded Scooter’s in 1998. In the two decades since, the brand has grown to include more than 500 locations in 27 states. As part of a strategic growth plan, Scooter’s plans to build additional stores in 30 states, adding dozens of locations to its collection in 2023.
La Luna Liquor Adding Restaurant On S. 6th St.
A southside liquor and convenience store has plans to expand its offerings while catering to community needs with the addition of a full-service restaurant.
La Luna Liquor Inc., 522 W. Maple St., would add convert approximately 2,000 square feet, about two-thirds of its current space, into La Luna Liquor Taqueria, a family-friendly restaurant serving breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Hanin Abdelrahim, who has operated La Luna at the corner of S. 6th St. and W. Maple St. for 33 years and counting, said his intention is to put the community first.
“We love the neighborhood and we love our customers,” he said. “Whatever the customers look for, hopefully we will be able to provide for them.”
Upper East Bar Set to Reopen This Spring With New Owners
After a months-long hiatus, Upper East Bar, a historic corner tavern and longtime site of the Eastsider, is set to reopen later this spring under new ownership.
The fate of the eastside watering hole, 1732 E. North Ave., was uncertain for the latter part of the past year. It had opened as Upper East Bar in February under Cord Harris, but Harris quietly closed the bar last fall.
The business will have a fresh start in the new year, as a team of six, community-minded Milwaukeeans plans to breathe new life into both the establishment and the neighborhood at large.
The bar’s ownership is split evenly between members Aaron Smith, Tianna Townsend, Briana Redmond, Billy Williams, Stephanie Townsend and Branden Joseph. Together, the group comprises Premier Closers LLC.
Jazz Estate Closes For January
The Jazz Estate, an eastside cocktail lounge and live music venue, is temporarily closed for the month of January to refresh its menu and decor.
The business, 2423 N. Murray Ave., is set to return next month with an expanded beverage program as well as minor enhancements to its retro-chic interior, according to owner John Dye.
“We will be back in February to reveal this incredible menu to you all, set in the same intimate, historic and thoughtfully constructed space that welcomes your perfect date night or gathering with friends,” he said in a statement.
The new menu will ramp up the creativity of the bar’s current offerings, Dye said: “We already do really great cocktails at the estate, so it’ll just be an expansion of what we have in that sense.”
Wine Bar Planned for Walker’s Point Plaza
Milwaukee-area business owners are known to get creative when it comes to viable locations for their establishments. In 2022, we saw a popsicle stand open inside a ticket booth, a shipping container bar and more. Next month, the innovation will continue with a wine bar and florist, an unusual retail combination by itself, that is planned for a Walker’s Point gas station.
The new business, Wine & Roses Enterprises, is expected to open at 137 W. Bruce St. as soon as February, according to a license application.
Melissa Kordus, who brings experience from her previous job at 2 Sweet & International Delight, a now-closed hookah bar and Mediterranean restaurant, would be sole owner of the upcoming business.
True to its name, Wine & Roses Enterprises would operate as a wine bar and cocktail lounge, offering wine and other beverages as well as pre-packaged flowers for guests. The business would have indoor seating available and plans to eventually expand its offerings with an entertainment license, according to the license application.
How Prohibition Saved the Packers
For 13 years beginning in 1920, Prohibition banned the consumption, manufacture, transportation and sale of alcohol in the United States. But in the Wisconsin city of Green Bay? Not so much.
During Prohibition many of the city’s saloons were converted to “soda” establishments that continued selling alcohol. And it turns out that the city’s reputation as a beer-loving scofflaw helped save professional football in the smallest market in pro sports.
“They just didn’t stop drinking in this town,” said Dennis Jacobs, local history and genealogy associate at the Brown County Library.
In fact, Jacobs said the city’s three breweries were busted for selling alcohol during prohibition. One brewery even had an arrangement with a local taxi company where the company would deliver beer to customers.
Third Space Brewing Announces Final Beer Release of 2022
New year, new beers — Third Space Brewing Company has a final beer release set for Dec. 31, giving Milwaukeeans even more reason to celebrate the upcoming weekend.
The release will coincide with a New Year’s Eve pre-party at the brewery’s Menomonee Valley tap room, 1505 W. St. Paul Ave. Both beers will be available on draft and in cans at the event.
In addition to a taste of the newest brews, guests can expect live bluegrass music from Wheels North from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
The new beers include Smile, a citrus wheat ale, and a new rotating lager series that starts with Good Cheer, a dark lager.
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