Cafe Benelux Announces Major Renovation
Third Ward restaurant will close from late February to early April for upgrades including a reimagined bar, additional seating and bigger TV screens.
Rendering of Benelux updates. Image courtesy of Lowlands Group.
A popular restaurant in the Historic Third Ward will temporarily close for a major renovation.
Cafe Benelux, 346 N. Broadway, plans to suspend dine-in, carryout and catering services during the upcoming transformation, which is scheduled to begin Feb. 26.
When it reopens later this spring, the restaurant will feature an expanded and reimagined bar, additional seating and larger TV screens. Along with interior upgrades, the food and drink menus will be refreshed with several new additions, while staple offerings will remain unchanged.
Benelux has seen several rounds of renovations throughout its 13-year tenure. The building, formerly home to Good Harvest Market and Augie’s bar, was updated and a central staircase leading to the rooftop was installed ahead of the restaurant’s 2011 opening. A 2017 renovation yielded a redesigned bar, refinished floors and additional seating in a new dining area. Other aesthetic tweaks have been completed regularly at the establishment throughout the years.
In a Thursday morning news release, Lowlands Group described the imminent renovation as “the most extensive of them all.” The new bar will include 50% more seating and additional booths, including an extra-large booth to accommodate larger groups. The new TVs, an improved host stand area and other upgrades will help streamline operations while improving the guest experience, Lowlands noted in the release.
The updated restaurant will be designed in collaboration with Three Sixty and Rev Pop.
On the food and beverage side, guests can expect a handful of new dishes and three new tap towers, two of which — the Duvel tower and the three-tap Chimay tower — will be exclusive to Benelux and the only towers of their kind available in Wisconsin. The bar will also offer wine on tap and a revamped cocktail menu.
Benelux originally opened as a European-style bistro with its own gift and retail shop offering rare beers, souvenirs and grocery items. Since then, the restaurant has carved out a niche by serving a unique selection of Belgian beers and a menu inspired by the cuisine of Europe’s Low Countries: Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg.
In 2018, the restaurant debuted its popular rooftop domes — cozy, heated enclaves for outdoor winter dining. The domes were an instant hit and have become a perennial addition to the neighborhood’s winter cityscape. They’ve also popped up at other Lowlands Group establishments and a handful of others across Milwaukee.
Benelux will continue operating as usual until late February. The restaurant is open Sunday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Brunch is served on Saturdays and Sundays from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Benelux is expected to reopen in early April. To-go ordering and catering will be on hiatus during construction. In the meantime, guests are encouraged to patronize other Lowlands Group restaurants including Centraal Grand Café & Tappery in Bay View or Café Hollander on the East Side.
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yuck, bigger t.v. screens just what we want while eating.