10 New Bars and Restaurants Opened in June
List includes hot chicken restaurant, sushi counter and 'Wisconsin's first' listening lounge.
Site of Giving Tree Garage, 902 S. 2nd St. Photo taken June 20, 2024 by Sophie Bolich.
Giving Tree Garage served its first pours amid a flurry of rainbow confetti, the clack of high heels and intermittent showers of assorted candies.
The new beer garden and tap truck showroom, 902 S. 2nd St., opened in tandem with Milwaukee’s 20th annual Pride Parade, on June 9.
Led by Draft & Vessel owner Nathaniel Davauer, Giving Tree Garage is a laid-back addition to the Walker’s Point neighborhood, offering a variety of local brews, riser-style outdoor seating and a sloping shade tree that looks to be straight out of the eponymous Shel Silverstein book.
In keeping with its retro theme, the business offers a Nintendo gaming setup and decor inspired by artists such as David Bowie, Freddie Mercury and The Beatles.
Along with a wide selection of beer, Giving Tree Garage serves draft cocktails, ciders, sangria and other beverages. Guests are welcome to carry in their own food from nearby restaurants.
Giving Tree Garage is just one of a number of establishments to open its doors in Milwaukee last month, joining a new sushi restaurant, Italian-inspired food truck, vinyl-focused neighborhood bar and others.
Awi Sushi
A new location for Awi Sushi is now operating at Crossroads Collective, 2238 N. Farwell Ave. The restaurant, led by franchisee Salai Thawng, welcomed its first guests on June 26, offering an extensive menu of sushi rolls, sashimi, soup, salad and more.
Thawng’s sister, Cheraty Par, opened the first Milwaukee location for Awi Sushi earlier this year on Water Street. The siblings, though passionate about restauranting, are driven by a larger purpose: providing for their family members who are refugees in India.
City Social Bar and Grill/The LYNQ Ultra Lounge
Corey Smith, owner of Brownstone Social Lounge, has expanded his portfolio with a new, dual-concept bar and restaurant.
City Social Bar & Grill and The LYNQ Ultra Lounge opened in June at 530 N. Water St. Although both concepts are located within the same building, each offers a unique experience.
At City Social, guests can expect cocktails, casual eats and hookah in a laid-back environment. The space itself is brightly lit and features tan booths, bar seating and tidbits of Milwaukee history throughout its decor.
The LYNQ, meanwhile, is designed as an upscale lounge, complete with black and silver finishes, leather banquettes and a spacious dance floor.
Fire Bird
A new restaurant serving Nashville-style hot chicken is now open in the Roosevelt Grove neighborhood. Fire Bird, a project of Maher Ayad, recently opened at 4103 W. Capitol Dr.
The counter-service restaurant sells chicken wings, tenders, sandwiches, sliders and more, as well as specialty meals such as chicken and waffles. Sides including cheese fries, macaroni and cheese and coleslaw are also available, along with milkshakes and slushies for dessert.
Fruition MKE
Fruition MKE, a new cafe, coworking and makers space located inside of Concordia 27, began its soft opening phase in early June.
The business, 825 N. 27th St., features an in-house cafe serving a variety of snacks and beverages including Colectivo and Jamaican Fair Trade coffees. Its offerings are expected to expand with healthy, grab-and-go meals in the near future.
Honest Milwaukee
Indian street foods abound at Honest Milwaukee, which hosted its grand opening on the city’s South Side last month.
The new restaurant, 3400 S. 27th St., is the first Milwaukee location for the Honest chain, which operates nearly 100 restaurants across the world.
Led by Bhavin Patel, his wife, Apeksha Patel and friend, Kinjal Patel, the restaurant serves an all-vegetarian menu featuring dishes such as masala pav, pani puri and samosas. The restaurant also serves a variety of American and Indo-Chinese dishes.
Pallino Burger
Pallino Burger, an Italian-inspired food truck, is the newest addition to Zocalo Food Park. Opened in mid-June, the concept offers handmade sausages, freshly ground burgers and chicken sandwiches, along with sides and drinks.
Owners Derek and Adam Anzalone first became acquainted with Zocalo, 636 S. 6th St., through running bocce leagues at the southside business; the brothers later decided to expand their presence — and honor their Italian roots — with an on-site food truck.
Richmond’s Food For Your Soul
Catering business Richmond’s Food For Your Soul is now operating as a counter-service restaurant inside of Sherman Phoenix Marketplace.
The business welcomed its first guests on June 1 at the business collective, 3536 W. Fond du Lac Ave., serving chicken wings, fish, ribs, burgers and more.
The family-owned business, first launched in 2009, is a project of married couple Clyde and Dionna Richmond.
The Green Room
Discourse, largely known as an experimental coffee shop, continues to delve into the cocktail world with its newest concept, The Green Room.
The business, billed as an “elevated corner bar,” serves as an after-hours counterpart to the daytime cafe, serving beer, wine and creative cocktails in both alcoholic and zero-proof formats.
The Green Room, located inside the cafe space at Radio Milwaukee, held an official opening on June 22.
The Wiggle Room
A new bar and listening lounge is finding its groove on the South Side.
The Wiggle Room, 2988 S. Kinnickinnic Ave., opened its doors in early June, inviting guests to partake in a wide variety of beverages — both non-alcoholic and traditional — backed by a curated vinyl soundtrack.
The long-awaited business was first proposed last summer. Since then, a number of similar, vinyl-focused business have emerged throughout the area. That includes The Green Room, mentioned above, and an upcoming business, The Deep Groove, which is slated for Brady Street.
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Everyone is feeling better about a future change in Washington DC will help businesses grow successfully.
Who is everyone? The Uihlein? Big Pharma? Big healthcare? Everyone certainly does NOT include those living on fixed income, working Americans, or small businesses. Businesses opening now are doing so because the economic conditions ARE NOW favorable. That speaks to the fact that our economy is more robust than any time 40 years. 45’s administration was bad for most rural and urban small businesses across the state of Wisconsin.