Vier North Opens on East Side
Former Vitucci's tavern has new name, new patio and longest bar in Milwaukee.
Site of Vier North, 1832 E. North Ave. Photo by Bryan O’Boyle.
For decades, Vitucci’s was a hot spot for the East Side crowd, drawing flocks of college students, nearby residents and a trusty handful of regulars each night to drink and make merry at the historic corner tavern, 1832 E. North Ave.
And though the previous business shuttered in 2019, the tavern was back to its old self last week, as customers filled the building for the official opening of Vier North on Thursday, Jan. 11.
The celebration stretched through the weekend, fueled by pizza, burgers and plenty of drinks. Football and basketball games played on the bar’s large TVs while guests soaked in the building’s newly-updated interior.
“Our expectations were definitely exceeded,” said Melanie Petersen, general manager of Vier North, who noted that the bar was packed with 100 customers during its peak — Sunday afternoon’s Green Bay Packers game. Apart from the game time rush, the bar attracted a steady stream of customers each day, she said.
The new tavern has been a long time coming. After Vitucci’s closure, Bryan O’Boyle, Adam Jansen, Gus Unholz and Faisal Ahmed-Yahia purchased the building in 2022 with plans to fully gut and renovate the interior. The result, more than a year in the making, brings a modern feel to the 1893 building while honoring the history of the previous bar, which operated for 85 years under various members of the Vitucci family.
It also takes the title of Milwaukee’s longest bar, dethroning Downtown’s Copper (previously Buck Bradley’s) in the process. Vier North’s bar is 78 feet, just over two feet longer than Copper’s.
Other new additions to the building include retractable garage doors on the structure’s east side, which will open onto an elevated patio during the warmer months. The ownership team also completed a kitchen build-out and a number of aesthetic updates to the space.
And though the iconic Vitucci’s sign is no more, Vier North pays homage to its predecessor, incorporating the same, flourishing letter V into its glowing exterior signage.
As the new business settles into the neighborhood, guests can look forward to an expanding menu of drinks including beer, seltzers and specialty cocktails, as well as food, live music and sports viewing. The bar plans to host special events such as wine tastings and will offer shuttles to a variety of local events.
Petersen said she and the ownership team are “excited to learn from the East Side community,” and plan to expand the bar’s offerings based on feedback. To keep up with future events and announcements, follow the business’s Facebook page.
Vier North is open Thursday from 4 p.m. to 2 a.m., Friday from 4 p.m. to 2:30 a.m., Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2:30 a.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 1 a.m.
Photos
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.
