Prospective Tenant Found For Company Brewing Space

735 W. Center St. Photo by Sophie Bolich.

With plans for a permanent location in Riverwest and a soon-to-launch fundraising campaign, Vanessa Rose is turning her long-held vision into reality: creating a safe and welcoming LGBTQ+ third space that combines a restaurant, bar and event venue under one roof.

The concept, House of Bridges, has existed for years without a brick-and-mortar, most recently operating fine-dining pop-ups through its food program, Mother’s. Now, Rose has her sights set on the former Company Brewing building, 735 E. Center St., and plans to embed herself in the community — not just as a business owner, but as a conduit for advocacy and political action.

As its name suggests, House of Bridges aims to foster connections — or build bridges — with the end goal of actionable change.

“With the threat of things like Project 2025 in the mix, I think it’s really important for us to get together, to have plans, to grow together and better understand what it means to be such a diverse community,” Rose said.

On March 18, House of Bridges will launch a crowdfunding campaign through NuMarket with a goal of raising $30,000. It’a a critical step toward making the space a reality, with funds earmarked for securing occupancy at the building, obtaining licenses and purchasing inventory.

Designed specifically for food businesses, NuMarket provides donors with a credit for 120% of their donation that can be used at the new business. Rose prefers the “grassroots” model because it ties the business to its potential customers in a reciprocal relationship.

“We have already established a history of being engaged with the community,” she said, noting that her operation has fundraised for and donated to organizations such as Courage MKE, Vivent Health, Radio Milwaukee, Flavors of Africa + Diaspora and more.

“I think that’s what I mean when I say we’re a community organization,” she said. “We understand that sometimes, that means helping those around us before we help ourselves.”

After the month-long crowdfunding campaign, Rose aims to get the business up and running as quickly as possible—even if that means sitting on the floor.

“You spend enough time adapting to the animosity of the world at large, and what’s a couple of tables?” she said.

Once fully realized, House of Bridges would serve as a landing spot for the LGBTQ+ community and their allies, industry professionals, artists and other like-minded guests.

“This is meant to be a place where you can go for a cup of coffee, have some food, enjoy a fine art gallery or sculpture, have a cocktail or even experience a tasting room menu,” Rose said of the multi-faceted business. “It’s about promoting your own activities, your shops and your projects—creating a space where you can have an honest-to-God conversation, rather than just dancing.

The space is also intended to function as a hub for community organization, education and mobilization.

“I want to make sure there’s food on people’s tables and that they can go out, blow off some steam, and do so without breaking the bank,” Rose said. “With what looks to be a couple of rough years ahead, we want to be the place people choose.”

Rose is uniquely positioned to lead the venture, drawing on years of industry experience, along with a background in history, sociology and political science. The combination yields a deep commitment to social justice, with the knowledge to back it up. “I don’t shy away from my politics,” she said.

“When I hear about solutions to what’s going on in the country right now, people are saying to build community, organize your friends, do stuff, get out there. We recognize, especially with my background, that we need a space to do that,” Rose said. “We want to be that place.”

Mother’s would operate the food program at House of Bridges, offering a mix of casual comfort food and fine-dining experiences. As she plans for the permanent space, Rose is keeping tariffs in mind, seeking partnerships with local farms to mitigate price hikes.

The approach aligns with Rose’s larger goal of blending social justice with sustainable business.

“I still have most of my history books here, and if what I have to do is hop up on a stage and talk political science 101 with people so they can catch up on what a tariff means before they vote on it, I’m happy to do it,” she said.

Rose also emphasized the importance of fair compensation and better working conditions for staff, sharing plans to center the business on values such as human rights, healthcare access and living wages.

Rose’s passion lies in the kitchen, and she has operated Mother’s largely on her own — with help from fellow chefs and volunteers — hosting pop-up dining experiences across Milwaukee.

As the new venture begins to take shape, Rose knows she will need to step away from the kitchen at times in order to best represent the larger mission of the organization.

“I feel uniquely qualified to take a step out of the kitchen and let one of my very capable chef friends handle the cooking when I’m not around or doing something else,” she said. “Chef doesn’t mean a person who cooks well—it means a leader. You look around the city, and there are some honest-to-God leaders, and then there are some people who just cook well.”

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