The Couture Names First Retail Tenant
Chicago-based bar and restaurant slated for lake-facing, second-floor space.
The Vig. Rendering by Barker/Nestor.
The Couture tipped its hand to Milwaukeeans on Friday, revealing The Vig — a 1950s-themed sports parlor — as its first retail tenant. The Chicago-based bar and restaurant, named for the “vigorish” fee, is slated to open its new location in summer 2026.
In its first expansion beyond Chicago, The Vig plans to feature signature dishes from its globally inspired menu, along with new creations that reflect local flavor. Guests can also expect a lineup of craft and signature cocktails.
“We are incredibly excited to welcome The Vig to The Couture and the Milwaukee dining landscape,” Rick Barrett, CEO of Barrett Lo Visionary Development, said in a statement. “This is more than just a fantastic restaurant; it’s a significant step in realizing The Couture’s potential as the premier address in downtown Milwaukee.”
The new business, led by Legacy Hospitality, will occupy 10,800 square feet on the building’s second floor, featuring an expansive 8,500-square-foot interior and 2,000 square feet of patio space. Lakefront views will serve as a focal point both indoors and out, while large-screen TVs embedded in mirrors cater to sports enthusiasts without compromising the sleek aesthetic, according to a news release.
A buildout for The Vig, led by Barker/Nestor, is expected to begin in late 2025. Once open, the venue will offer ample seating, along with three private event spaces.
Robert Kabakoff, Legacy’s collaborating chef, is working on menu development for the new location, with plans to feature locally sourced cheese curds, Bloody Marys and other Milwaukee-inspired items. The Vig will also offer creative twists on sports bar favorites, including a “booming onion” topped with caviar and crème fraîche and “fall-off-the-bone” wings served with a hot towel service.
The Vig originally launched in October 2015. The new restaurant anticipates hiring approximately 100 employees from the Milwaukee community, with a commitment to bringing in local talent for leadership roles.
“We are so excited to be working with the Couture Team and joining the fabric of the Milwaukee community,” Ryan Marks, owner-operator at Legacy Hospitality, said in a statement.
He added that The Vig, which operates two Chicago outlets, has spent several years seeking an ideal location for expansion. “Milwaukee, and The Couture’s iconic location in particular, made it an easy decision!”
The Couture, 909 E. Michigan St., developed by Barrett Lo Visionary Development and opened in spring 2024, is currently the tallest residential building in Wisconsin. The 44-story tower includes 322 luxury apartments and over 45,000 square feet of restaurant and retail space.
A three-story base includes a transit concourse, with streetcar and bus rapid transit stations, and multiple levels of commercial space.
Barrett Lo has letters of intent from prospective tenants to lease the remaining commercial spaces, which include 15,000 square feet on the third floor and 11,000 square feet on the first floor.
Barrett expects The Vig to further enliven the new development.
“The energy and vibrancy The Vig brings will resonate throughout the community, making The Couture an even more compelling place to live, visit, and connect with the best of our city,” he said.
Renderings
The Couture
The Couture and US Bank Center. Photo by Jeramey Jannene.
Existing members must be signed in to see the interactive map. Sign in.
If you think stories like this are important, become a member of Urban Milwaukee and help support real, independent journalism. Plus you get some cool added benefits.
More about the Couture
- The Couture Names First Retail Tenant - Sophie Bolich - Jun 6th, 2025
- Streetcar Begins Daily Service To The Couture, BRT Will Soon Follow - Jeramey Jannene - Apr 11th, 2024
- Friday Photos: See The View From The Couture’s Upper Levels - Jeramey Jannene - Mar 8th, 2024
- The Couture Shows Off First Apartments - Jeramey Jannene - Jan 24th, 2024
- Transportation: Streetcar Extension Opens Sunday - Jeramey Jannene - Oct 28th, 2023
- Lakefront Streetcar Extension Opens October 29 - Jeramey Jannene - Aug 22nd, 2023
- Eyes on Milwaukee: See Inside The Couture’s Rise - Jeramey Jannene - Mar 9th, 2023
- Transportation: Congress Extends Streetcar Grant - Jeramey Jannene - Mar 16th, 2022
- Eyes on Milwaukee: The Couture Starts Massive Concrete Pour - Jeramey Jannene - Mar 16th, 2022
- City Hall: Council Could End Fight Over Couture Provision - Jeramey Jannene - Feb 22nd, 2022
Read more about Couture here
Looks great! I’m fond of rectangular bars like this one and the bar at 3rd Street Market Hall. (And elsewhere.) Great for conversation and general liveliness…and, I mean, who really likes to sit facing the wall.
Also, will be interesting to see what Barrett gets for the first floor, the other second floor space, and then the third floor. He’s saying that, based on what the remaining first and second floor spaces will likely draw, he doubts the third floor will be another restaurant. Another outlet reported that plans for the first floor look to be moving toward a high end restaurant. What the third floor offers in terms of views and patio space, it lacks in access. You don’t walk by and say, “interesting,” and walk in and check it out. You really gotta wanna go there if it’s three floors up.
I think this is a tough/specialty location to lease out. It’s not in the center of downtown where you’re going to be able to riff off of the other retail and non-retail in the area. Basically, it seems you’ve got the building’s residents and the lakefront, the latter meaning people who would be predisposed to be down there anyway and the views. It’s a bit of a destination location. The first floor location doesn’t seem to offer a lot in the ways of views—the Summerfest sign and Hoan Bridge off ramp. And, Barrett’s early thinking about getting a grocery store for the first floor has always been a non-starter for me. Not the place for it.
All in all, glad to hear there’s movement on Couture retail.
Also (lastly?), it appears as if the patio for The Vig would actually be a part of or adjacent to what would eventually become the elevated walkway as part of the Lakefront Gateway project.
https://city.milwaukee.gov/ImageLibrary/Groups/cityDCD/planning/plans/downtown1/Lakefront-Catalytic-Project/GRAEFSlides11.pdf
Boy, I sure wish someone would find the money for that. Would really help to activate the entire area.