Sports-Focused Tavern Slated To Replace Gene’s Supper Club
Power Lounge & Grill would offer full bar and pub fare in laid-back atmosphere.
Site of future Power Lounge & Grill, 4323 N. 60th St. Photo by Jeramey Jannene.
A northside bar and restaurant could get new life under a proposal from Rickey Adams, who hopes to open a sports-focused lounge in the building.
Adams, a first-time tavern owner, recently filed a license application for Power Lounge & Grill at 4323 N. 60th St., the former site of Gene’s Supper Club.
He said the establishment will provide a comfortable environment for guests to hang out, socialize and watch sporting events while enjoying a full range of alcoholic beverages and pub fare.
“I just wanted to be part of the nightlife,” Adams said. “To serve food and just entertain, pretty much.”
In addition to a full bar and cocktail program, the establishment plans to serve casual eats including burgers, wings, french fries and more.
The 3,546-square-foot building contains a banquet hall, commercial kitchen, enclosed patio space and three different bars, Adams said. That includes two on the main level with another located in a separate, lower-level lounge area. The property also features a large parking lot.
Power Lounge & Grille, LLC purchased the building for $250,000 in December. The license application notes that Adams paid a total of $270,000 for the business.
At this time, Adams said he’s not planning any major renovations, but that could change as the venture continues to develop.
Gene’s Supper Club
The proposal to open Power Lounge & Grill follows the closure of Gene’s Supper Club, which had a tumultuous final year in business before shuttering in 2022.
In March 2021, the Milwaukee Common Council denied a liquor license renewal for the tavern, citing several instances of gun violence at the premises.
Shortly after the vote, however, owner James Robinson, Jr. filed a lawsuit to overturn the council’s decision. The establishment was granted an injunction, allowing it to reopen pending the outcome of the case.
Gene’s Supper Club proceeded to operate for more than a year, though the business appears to have closed during the summer of 2022, after Judge Hannah Dugan upheld the council’s decision.
Gene’s Supper Club, which was located in Capitol Heights, is unrelated to a pop-up of the same name that took place at Barnacle Bud’s in 2023.
After learning of Adam’s plan to open the new business, one neighbor was vocal in her opposition. A March 14 letter to the Milwaukee License Division noted concerns about “chaos and property vandalism” in the neighborhood.
The complaints are not related to the upcoming businesses, but rather the previous tenant. In the letter, the neighbor expressed worry that previous problems, including litter, smashed car windows, loud music and violence, could return under the new ownership.
The letter indicates that Adams met with neighbors throughout the area to introduce himself and the concept.
A liquor license for Power Lounge & Grill is pending before the Common Council.
Photos
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