Speakeasy-Style Jazz Lounge Proposed For Water Street

Site of proposed The Back Door. Photo by Sophie Bolich.

Turkey club upstairs, jazz club downstairs.

The Back Door, a music-focused cocktail lounge, is slated to open on the lower level of 767 N. Water St., beneath a Jimmy John’s sub shop.

Owner Joseph Thompson recently filed an application, with a proposed opening date in November, for the business.

The Back Door would occupy a long, narrow commercial space, accessible through a speakeasy-style entrance off N. Front Street. Construction at the 1,416-square-foot site is underway, with completion expected in the next month.

A floor plan submitted with the application includes both bar and table seating.

The proposed business wouldn’t be the only “covert” operation on the block. Safe House, a popular tourist destination with a password-only entrance, shares the same alley.

Once open, The Back Door would be the latest of several new additions to the downtown block, joining Awi Sushi and Mediterranean Cuisine—both neighbors to the south—which opened in 2024.

Though Water Street is known for its nightlife, most of its larger bars and clubs are concentrated in the blocks to the north and south of the proposed lounge. With room for just 49 people and no stage or dance floor, The Back Door appears to be targeting a quieter, more laid-back vibe than those nearby.

The four-story building, owned by 767 Water, LLC, was originally constructed in 1913, according to city assessment records. Jimmy John’s has occupied its street-level space for more than a decade, sandwiched between Milwaukee Waterfront Deli and Rodizio Grill.

A liquor license for The Back Door is pending before the Milwaukee Common Council. If approved, the business plans to operate Sunday through Thursday from 4:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. and Friday through Saturday from 4:30 p.m. to midnight.

Thompson did not comment on his plans for the business.

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