East Side Restaurant Quietly Closes
The fast-casual spot, specializing in hot dogs, burgers and sausages, closed over the summer.
Louie’s Char Dog and Butter Burgers. Photo taken April 8th, 2021 by Dave Reid.
Louie’s Char Dogs & Butter Burgers has quietly closed after more than two years of service in the Murray Hill neighborhood.
Owner Lawrence Miller confirmed the news in an email Wednesday, citing a lack of experienced staff and rising costs for the closure.
“We really love our customers and appreciate the support they gave us for the last 2.5 years,” he said. “It was genuinely an honor sharing our passion and serving them great high quality food with a warm welcome.”
Miller said he’s hoping to revive the fast-casual concept in a different format. In particular, one that would require less staff to operate. He said a ghost kitchen, food hall, catering-only location and a food truck are all possibilities.
Louie’s, 2336 N. Farwell Ave., specialized in gourmet hot dogs, sausages and burgers. Its offerings ranged from classic: Chicago-style char dogs, chili dogs and more — to outlandish, like the PB&J char dog, topped with peanut butter, strawberry preserves, jalapeño sweet pickle relish, chopped onion and Louie sauce.
The restaurant’s extensive menu also featured a variety of sandwiches, soups and desserts, as well as plant-based offerings including soy and black bean burgers and vegan hot dogs. Appetizers and sides such as cheese curds, fried pickles, fries and onion rings were also available.
Louie’s was located within a shopping center near the intersection of N. Farwell and E. North avenues. The 15,400-square-foot structure, owned by an affiliate of North Avenue Redevelopment LLC, also contains a Pizza Hut restaurant, chiropractic offices, a pet food store and The Glasshouse, a vape and smoke tobacco shop. The owner of the latter business told Urban Milwaukee that he may pursue reopening a restaurant in the Louie’s space, but no concrete plans are in place.
The Wisconsin Department of Revenue lists Louie’s as having delinquent sales taxes and a revoked license.
Follow the restaurant on its website or social media pages for future updates.
Photos
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