Bucks Show Off Exclusive Lounge
The Reserve offers white-glove service, curated menus and a "candy room"
Rendering of The Reserve. Image courtesy of Kahler Slater.
The Milwaukee Bucks plan to debut a new luxury space for courtside season ticket holders in time for this month’s season opener.
The Reserve, set to open Oct. 22, will bring a full bar, white-glove service and a curated menu from James Beard-nominated chef Justin Carlisle to the ground level of Fiserv Forum. The 2,694-square-foot space was formerly a media center.
Bucks President Peter Feigin called The Reserve “the next evolution of professional sports” during a tour on Tuesday, saying it will be the organization’s most exclusive hospitality offering to date. “This is the way to experience a game,” he said.
The Bucks have partnered with general contractor JP Cullen and architect Kahler Slater for The Reserve, which also offers back-of-house access and designated parking for members.
The Reserve is only available for courtside season ticket holders.
Sean Cullen, a fifth-generation owner and director of business development at JP Cullen, praised the Bucks for investing in the space and shared a personal connection to the organization: his relative, James Fitzgerald, headed an ownership group for the team in the 1970s and 1980s.
“That legacy has continued through construction of Fiserv Forum, the Science Center, their practice facility and a number of other projects—including The Reserve,” Cullen said.
Carlisle, former chef-owner of Ardent, will bring his fine dining philosophy to The Reserve, where he plans a dynamic, seasonal menu tailored to theme nights, visiting teams and more. Both the service style and menu will shift throughout the game.
For that reason, Carlisle declined to discuss specific menu items, but said guests can expect seafood towers and plateaus, salads, a carving station and a variety of a la carte options. He also noted plans to accommodate a range of dietary restrictions.
“It’s going to be a very exclusive experience here,” Carlisle said. “There’s going to be no other [fan] in the arena that’s going to be able to dine in this sort of facility.”
Work is still progressing at The Reserve as workers “sprint to the end of construction,” said Amber McCracken, design leader at Kahler Slater. The finished space is expected to include tables with comfortable seating, a walk-up bar area, grab-and-go snack station and a separate “candy room” stocked with sweets.
The Reserve’s design features dark green and navy accents, a nod to the Bucks’ signature colors. The space can accommodate up to 85 guests.
Beyond The Reserve, courtside season ticket holders have access to other amenities, including in-seat service and the BMO Club.
Photos
Renderings
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Bucks President Feign: “This is the way to experience a game” and the “next generation of professional sports.”
Chef Carlisle:“There’s going to be no other [fan] in the arena that’s going to be able to dine in this sort of facility.”
There’s not a publicized number of courtside seats for Bucks games but, looking at the eight courtside sections on the map with 2-3 rows, each, and imagining just a bit, I suspect 200-250. Don’t know if all these are season ticket holders but some tickets find their way online for individual games for what looks to be $250-$500 each.
If this, indeed, is the future of professional sports and the way to see a game, sounds like a lot of others are left in the dust.
Seriously, it looks like a great space and I’m sure I would love to visit it. (My kind of bar/restaurant!) And, I’m sure I could manage to deal with the conspicuous consumption and requisite and sundry douche-baggery that is no doubt part of the experience.
Yet another glaring example of the wealth gap.