New Bars and Restaurants That Opened in January
A new sports lounge, BBQ joint, Burmese restaurant and others opened in town.
SereniTea Bar & Lounge. Photo taken Jan. 31, 2025 by Sophie Bolich.
After nearly two years of preparations, SereniTea opened its third location on the final day of January, filling a portion of the former Chancery space on Downer Avenue that had been vacant since 2007.
Unlike its previous locations, the new SereniTea doubles as a bar, offering a dual menu of cocktails and non-alcoholic boba drinks, along with extended hours and lounge-style seating.
The scene was both lively and welcoming during Friday evening’s grand opening, as owner Manpreet Singh and his staff greeted guests, wielded cocktail shakers and doled out shot-sized cups of bursting boba.
In addition to classic cocktails like Manhattans, daiquiris and margaritas, SereniTea features a lineup of signature drinks, including T-Pain, a taro-flavored twist on the tropical painkiller; Once in a Blood Moon, with gin, blood orange and pineapple; and its namesake, The SereniTea, made with vodka, rose, lychee, strawberry and lemon.
The non-alcoholic boba teas include a strawberry lemonade flavor with strawberry bursting boba, peach and grapefruit with peach bursting boba and mango with passionfruit, jasmine tea and a mix of jelly and bursting boba. Milk teas with tapioca pearls are also available.
To eat, SereniTea offers macarons, muffins, fruit tarts and other sweets.
Singh, a former Marquette University student, was 23 and in his final semester when he opened SereniTea’s first location on campus at 1414 W. Wells St. in 2019. He expanded to Bayshore in 2021.
SereniTea Bar & Lounge, located at 2569 N. Downer Ave., is open Sunday through Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Thursday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Friday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to midnight.
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David Alan Alan’s Smokehouse
Meat is on the menu at David Alan Alan’s Smokehouse, which officially opened at Milwaukee Public Market in early January. The new barbecue joint serves ribs, burnt ends, hot chicken and other pit-fried fare, along with traditional sides and smoke-infused cocktails.
Dream Lounge Social
Dream Lounge Social, a new business in Bronzeville, shares its birth month with the man who inspired it: Martin Luther King, Jr.
Owner Joah Tucker opened the sports lounge at 1806 N. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. on Jan. 4, hoping to provide a community-focused gathering spot in the neighborhood.
IVR Bar
Local restaurateurs Apexa and Vijay Patel have expanded their portfolio with a new fusion restaurant, IVR Bar.
Short for International Variety Restaurant, IVR offers Indian and Mexican dishes, as well as fusion options, pasta and more at 10950 W. Good Hope Rd., the former site of Point Burger Bar.
Jr’s Treats
A new addition to Water Street, Jr’s Treats, offers a variety of sweets, snacks and sandwiches — though its namesake, owner Nerilyn Cruz-Colon‘s toddler son, only has eyes for sprinkles.
The business opened last month at 624 N. Water St., catering to office workers, families and late-night crowds alike with a menu that includes ice cream, mini pancakes, Mexican street corn, hot dogs, yogurt parfaits and much more.
Ni Burmese
A slate of family recipes awaits at Ni Burmese, which recently opened its doors at 2140 S. Kinnickinnic Ave. The Southeast Asian restaurant focuses on Burmese dishes like soups, curries, stir fries and salads.
The restaurant is among several new additions to the ground level of KinetiK, joining Paloma Taco and Tequila, Mochinut and Roll Up.
Roll Up
Loan and Thaison Nguyen have been working double time in Bay View, introducing two distinct concepts to the neighborhood in the past two months.
After opening Mochinut in December 2024, the siblings launched Roll Up in January, offering customizable spring rolls, noodle bowls and salads. Though the businesses share a space at 2144 S. Kinnickinnic Ave., they operate separately.
Salas Pub & Grill
Salas Pub & Grill is up and running at 2179 S. 16th St., where it quietly replaced Smokey’s Lounge in recent weeks. The new business from Agustin Salas Macias and Jose Marquez offers a full bar program, along with a food menu featuring burgers, chicken wings, and sandwiches for dine-in and carryout.
It’s a sibling establishment to Salas’ Bar, which has been operating at the corner of S. 8th and W. Becher streets for two years.
Starbucks
Starbucks made a “grande” entrance on Brady Street Jan. 30, marking its return to the neighborhood after closing a nearby location in 2018. The new spot at 1438 E. Brady St. is the city’s 20th and serves a typical menu of customizable coffee, espresso and tea, along with grab-and-go snacks.
Cinnabar Nutrition
Cinnabar Nutrition is settling in at Sherman Phoenix Marketplace, following its December 2024 grand opening within the business hub at 3536 S. Fond du Lac Ave. The new cafe sells a variety of shakes, teas and snacks made with Herbalife products.
Popeye’s
After more than a year and $1 million in repairs, Popeye’s has reopened at 7525 W. Good Hope Rd. The location is back in business following its closure due to a fire in 2023. Best known for its Louisiana-style fried chicken, the fast food company operates eight locations in the City of Milwaukee.
Rain 24
Hangoverz left its long-time location at 3121 W. Greenfield Ave. in 2024, reopening several blocks south. The move paved the way for a new bar, Rain 24, to take over the building.
Operated by building owners Esmeralda Navarrete Gonzalez and Jose Cortes, Rain 24 prides itself on offering reasonable prices and a welcoming atmosphere.
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