Starbucks Closing, County Seeks New Vendor For Red Arrow Park
New concessionaire or complementary business would anchor key downtown park.
Red Arrow Park. Photo taken Oct. 26, 2023 by Sophie Bolich.
Milwaukee County Parks is seeking a new vendor to operate at Red Arrow Park, a year-round “hotspot” for ice skating, live music and community events in the heart of downtown. Starbucks will shutter its cafe at the park later this year.
A request for proposals (RFP) was issued Thursday morning for a business that would offer services to park-goers starting in April 2024.
“With this prime location becoming available at Red Arrow Park, we are excited for the potential for a new collaboration that will continue to benefit our Park visitors for years to come,” said Joe Mrozinski, assistant director of recreation and business services.
Starbucks will remain open through the end of next month. Mrozinski told Urban Milwaukee that the coffee chain chose not to renew its lease, which is set to expire on Nov. 30.
This winter, skaters will still be able to take respite with a hot beverage — but it won’t come in a siren-stamped cup. Milwaukee County Parks will sell hot chocolate, coffee, and bottled beverages for skaters to purchase when the rink opens later this year.
Although Starbucks was a concessionaire, the county is open to considering other businesses — unrelated to food and beverage — so long as they activate or are complementary to the park, according to the RFP.
If the selected business is open to the public, however, services must be accessible to children.
The vendor would occupy 8,721 square feet at 920 N. Water St. The street-level space overlooks the park’s skating rink and is across the street from Marcus Performing Arts Center, Milwaukee City Hall, the Saint Kate The Arts Hotel and a handful of large office buildings.
Though the park is perhaps best known for its winter transformation into an ice-skating rink, Red Arrow is a year-round hub for activity, playing host to outdoor concerts, markets and a host of family-friendly events during the warmer months. In 2022, the park saw 86,000 visitors. On Saturday, the park will play host to a kids-focused Halloween Jubilee.
Last year, park officials opted to allow public roller skating events on the concrete rink — despite initial reluctance.
Behind these many activations is the Milwaukee Downtown, Business Improvement District #21 (BID), which is working in partnership with the county to reimagine the park.
The BID has also highlighted local artists via its “Art in the Park” series, added tables and umbrellas to encourage outdoor dining in the summer and coordinated events including Big Truck Day, Downtown Ice CAPEade and more.
RFP submissions are due Dec. 1. Proposals can be submitted online.
If you think stories like this are important, become a member of Urban Milwaukee and help support real, independent journalism. Plus you get some cool added benefits.
Another example of the Starbucks trend to commoditize it’s product, several of their cafes with any level of charm have been closed and sometimes replaced by a cookie cutter storefront box plus drive thru.