Sophie Bolich

Cafe at MARN Reopens April 14

Third Ward arts and culture center to debut new menu, coffee and full bar on Milwaukee Day.

By - Apr 11th, 2023 11:22 am
Interval, 191 N. Broadway. Photo by Sophie Bolich.

MARN, 191 N. Broadway. Photo by Sophie Bolich.

The Milwaukee Artist Resource Network (MARN) will reopen its cafe on Milwaukee Day, offering coffee, new food options and a full bar starting this Friday, April 14.

The MARN Art + Culture Hub, located at 191 N. Broadway, in the Historic Third Ward, includes an art gallery, event space, and local handmade arts marketplace. The cafe reopening comes after a brief hiatus following the March departure of Interval.

“With the reopening of our café, we’ve literally doubled the size of our staff, most of which are local artists, and I couldn’t be happier with the transformation of the HUB,” said Mal Montoya, president and CEO of MARN. “We’ve leveled up every aspect of the facility to the benefit of our community.”

The revamped menu will feature a lineup of local vendors including Racine-based Esperanza Coffee Collective and Milwaukee’s own Troublemakers’ Cocina, along with wine, cocktails and beer — including New Barons on tap — from the bar.

Arnie Gonzales and Martin Magaña, the chefs behind Troublemakers’, will bring their signature modern Mexican cuisine to the cafe’s food menu. MARN will be the second permanent location for their fast-growing concept, which also operates at Central Waters Brewing Co. with plans to open a new restaurant, Travieso Latin Fusion, at Clarke Hotel in Waukesha in the coming weeks. Troublemakers’ also regularly hosts pop-ups and dinner collaborations with bars and breweries throughout Milwaukee.

In addition to its new food and beverage program, the art and culture hub is set to debut its newest exhibition, “Practice in Progress, to the public on April 14.

The exhibition, which contains works from members of the MARNmentorship program, will explore “the messy side of potential: where an idea is expanded and developed over time through learning, experimentation, and taking calculated risks,” according to a news release.

The exhibition’s featured artists include Katie Avila Loughmiller, Bryon Cherry and John Kowalczyk. It will be on display at MARN through June 4.

For more information on current and past exhibitions, local art for sale, MARN programming, and cafe hours, visit MARN online or follow MARN on Instagram.

MARN Art + Culture Hub Cafe

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