Pabst Venues Go All In on Hemp Candies
Plus: Aldi closes, FreshFin exiting East Side and a new community cafe.
The Riverside Theater. Photo by Sophie Bolich.
Gummies, peanut butter cups and mints infused with hemp-derived THC are now available at Pabst Theater Group venues, thanks to a partnership with Milwaukee-based Kind Oasis.
The new concessions offer customizable doses of delta 9–from two-milligram mints to stronger, five-milligram peanut butter cups—said to aid relaxation and euphoria.
Gary Witt, president and CEO of the Pabst Theater Group, said the partnership aligns with the group’s mission to create experiences that “reflect the heart and character of Milwaukee.”
“[Kind Oasis] is family-run, local business that shares our obsession with hospitality and community,” Witt said in a statement. “By bringing their plant-based wellness and high-quality hemp products into our venues, we’re offering our fans a unique, modern way to unwind and enjoy the show. It’s another example of how we can work together with local innovators to make Milwaukee a world-class destination for live entertainment, while keeping the experience authentic, local and deeply personal.”
Pabst Theater Group’s portfolio of venues and event spaces includes Pabst Theater, The Riverside Theater, Turner Hall Ballroom, Miller High Life Theatre, The Fitzgerald and Vivarium.
Headquartered on Milwaukee’s East Side, Kind Oasis operates a Current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) certified production facility, and infusion kitchen, with a promise to offer safe and responsibly produced hemp products.
“More people are choosing to be intentional about how they experience live events,” said Shaun Ridder, brand operations manager for Kind Oasis, in a statement. “Our partnership with Pabst Theater Group reflects a shared commitment to offering thoughtful, responsible alternatives that enhance the moment—so guests can enjoy the music, the energy, and the night on their own terms.”
Kind Oasis and Pabst Theater group are celebrating the partnership by giving away a “KindVibes Prize Pack” featuring a $100 Pabst Theater Group gift card, a $100 Bel Air Cantina gift card and a Kind Oasis gift basket valued at $375. The contest is available to enter online now through Jan. 31.
Draft & Co. Opens Downtown
The long-awaited Draft & Co. began its soft opening this week at Vel R. Phillips Plaza. The bar and cafe is intended to activate the downtown gathering space, which debuted in June 2024.
Led by tavern veteran Nathaniel Davauer, Draft & Co. offers 32 rotating tap lines—many featuring local craft beers—along with draft cocktails, wine, ciders and a more than a dozen non-alcoholic options.
A limited food menu features smash burgers, chicken tenders and snacks like French fries, cheese curds and soft pretzel sticks. Davauer previously shared a goal to revive Soup Bros—a former Walker’s Point cafe—in the new location.
Draft & Co. occupies a 2,900-square-foot building at 401 W. Wisconsin Ave., located on the western edge of the plaza. The custom build-out blends an industrial feel with vintage touches, including growler pendant lights and carved wood decor, also featuring a wraparound bar, high-top tables and booth seating.
Vacant Northside Building Could Become Community Cafe
Secret Cocktail Lounge Expanding
Shanghai, one of Milwaukee’s trendiest cocktail bars, is expanding its East Side space.
Housed in a former cleaning closet and hidden behind a discreetly marked gate in Black Cat Alley, the lounge has nonetheless maintained an enthusiastic fanbase since its 2019 opening—out of sight, but not out of mind.
Its sustained popularity, paired with its small footprint, has limited operations, Shanghai shared in a news release. “People can’t keep a secret, so we had to do something about it.”
The larger layout, unveiled Jan. 15, can seat up to 45 guests and allows Shanghai to accommodate parties of eight, up from a previous maximum of four. The space will also be available for private events and full buyouts, a frequent request, according to the release.
East Side Poké Restaurant Closing
FreshFin Poké will close its East Side restaurant at the end of the month, the company announced Thursday, citing “the company’s ongoing growth strategy and reflects a thoughtful evaluation of its locations and long-term business plan as the brand continues to evolve.”
Opened in 2017 at 1806 E. North Ave., the counter-service location was FreshFin’s flagship, serving as the foundation for the brand’s expansion throughout the region, according to co-owner Andrew Foster.
“From the very start, the East Side location was an important investment in our growth,” he said in a statement. “It allowed us to build our brand, learn what works, and expand thoughtfully.”
FreshFin’s final day in business will be Jan. 31.
Police Connection Delays Proposed Riverwest Sports Bar
State law prohibits habitual law offenders from holding liquor licenses in Wisconsin—but what about law enforcers? That question has stalled the license for Diaspora Sports Bar and Lounge, whose application lists a Milwaukee Police Department employee as a partner.
The proposed tavern, set to open in the former Company Brewing space at 735 E. Center St., lists six partners on its application: Michael Johnson, Phil Pullium, Brian Bradford, Marvin Bailey, Michael Shaw and Roberthenry Davis, Sr.
Pullium is an active employee of the Milwaukee Police Department, Sergeant Guadalupe Velasquez told licenses committee members during a Jan. 6 hearing. The unusual situation prompted MPD to request the license be held.
“We sought an opinion from the city attorney’s office on whether that is allowed,” said Velasquez, a member of MPD’s License Investigation Unit. “At this time, we have not received that opinion.”
New Mexican Restaurant Has 5,000 Square Feet
A popular Milwaukee taqueria recently expanded with a new southside location. Guelaguetza Restaurante Y Barra welcomed its first guests in late December at 2537 W. National Ave.
The bar and restaurant is the latest project from proprietor Lucia Antonio Perez, who also operates restaurants at 1039 W. National Ave. and 3902 S. Whitnall Ave., along with several food trucks.
Like existing locations, the new Guelaguetza specializes in authentic Mexican cuisine, offering a wide variety of tacos, tortas, tlayudas and other traditional street foods. Fillings include al pastor, asada, birria and alambre—chopped, grilled meat mixed with bacon, bell peppers, onions and melted cheese.
The restaurant also features burritos, tostadas, mole, seafood and pollo en amarillo, a braised chicken soup, with additional items such as whole rotisserie chickens and ceviche advertised on social media.
New Restaurant Proposed For Bavette Space
Lakefront Brewery Adding Riverside Amenities
Lakefront Brewery will greatly improve a riverfront property at 1890 N. Commerce St. The 34,094-square-foot lot, located upstream from its home, 1872 N Commerce St., with the Holton Viaduct standing between the two, has been owned since 2014 by Russ Klisch, LLC., whose namesake registered agent is Lakefront’s proprietor. His proposal will be presented to the City of Milwaukee Board of Zoning Appeals on Thursday.
Russ Klisch tells Urban Milwaukee in an email:
I didn’t have much choice but to go to BOZA. It is a long story, but in a nutshell, the city asked me to rent our lot to Zenith Tech for the bridge reconstruction since it would help them and speed up the work, which I did. The Department of Neighborhood Services didn’t like that I had the equipment there and started to fine me and said I needed to go to BOZA to get the zoning changed which I did in fall of 2024. Once I went to BOZA with the zoning request, the plans went to the Department of City Development which made me put up the screening or else I’d have to move everything off my lot. The fence around the lot will also be going away because of this. It will cost me a lot of money but I hope it will make the rest of my lot more pedestrian friendly. It will be my project for 2026.
Latest in Series of Improvements
Not one to shy away from capital improvements, Klisch has undertaken numerous expensive projects since purchasing the former power plant in 1998. These include many expansions of brewery-related operations, as well as amenities for visitors of what is one of the city’s major tourist destinations, drawing tens of thousands annually. Over the years he has improved his beer hall, hung dozens of illuminated barrels on the exterior, created a riverfront dock and stage, and, in 2024, extended his beer garden beneath the towering viaduct.
Couple Seeks National Gourmet Cookie Franchise for Milwaukee
Detra and Khalid Rodgers have big plans to bring a national chain to 16th and Walnut.
The couple hopes to open a Crumbl Cookies franchise in a vacant, city-owned building.
“We are really excited when we think about the area,” Detra told the Zoning, Neighborhoods & Development Committee Tuesday morning.
Crumbl is a rapidly growing, Utah-based cookie chain known for its oversized, gourmet cookies and rotating weekly menu. Founded in 2017, the company releases a new lineup of flavors each week, typically offering four to six varieties alongside its signature chocolate chip cookie. Crumbl operates primarily through takeout and delivery, with a minimalist store design that emphasizes open kitchens where customers can watch cookies being baked. The chain reports 1,105 locations.
A Turning Point For Five Points Tavern
A new tavern is proposed for 3501 N. 6th St., where it would fill a nearly century-old building currently occupied by Yari’s.
Property owner Thomas McNeal recently submitted a license application for Turning Point, which does not yet have a set opening date. McNeal declined to comment when reached by Urban Milwaukee.
According to the application, Turning Point would offer alcoholic beverages, tobacco, hookah and a limited food menu, operating similarly to Yari’s, which opened in 2024.
The tavern building is situated at the edge of Five Points, a high-traffic northside intersection between 6th Street, King Drive and Keefe and Atkinson avenues. Action Food and Liquor and Milwaukee Women’s Correctional Center also overlook the hexagonal crossroads.
Tavern Owner Plans Northwest Side Location
A new bar and restaurant, Boss’s, is slated to open later this winter at 6180 N. 64th St. Justin Jackson recently filed a license application for the location, which is currently home to the Douglas Inn.
Jackson, who also owns Champs Trucking, LLC and the nearby New Entertainers bar, purchased the 3,424-square-foot tavern building in November 2025 and plans to take over the business “as soon as possible,” according to the application.
Under Jackson’s leadership, the neighborhood bar would continue as a destination for alcoholic beverages and entertainment, also expanding to include a casual food program.
A proposed menu features pub fare like pizza, chicken, tacos, burgers and sandwiches, plus heartier entrees such as steak and pork chops. Shareable appetizers and sides could include mozzarella sticks, onion rings, fries and bacon.
Restaurants Offer Dry January Fundraiser Events
Nearly two dozen Milwaukee-area bars and restaurants are participating in a Dry January initiative to support Meta House, a nonprofit confronting generational cycles of addiction.
During the month-long campaign, partnered businesses will feature a zero-proof specialty cocktail, inviting patrons to explore new alcohol alternatives, challenge stigma surrounding substance use disorder and learn more about Meta House’s programming. Most locations plan to donate a portion of proceeds from the featured beverage to the nonprofit.
Sarah Koehn, Meta House’s director of philanthropy and marketing, praised the multi-faceted effort.
“Our Dry January campaign encourages us to cultivate physical, emotional and mental health, and show support for individuals in our community who are affected by substance use disorder,” Koehn said in a statement. “We’re deeply grateful to our restaurant partners who are bringing this initiative to the forefront and creating inclusive spaces while helping us expand access to life-saving treatment.”
The Best Chinese Restaurant in Town?
North Side Grocery Store Sets Closing Date
An Aldi grocery store in Old North Milwaukee is set to close Sunday, Jan. 11, the chain announced this week.
Located at 5301 N. Hopkins St., the store is an important source of fresh foods for nearby residents, and its exit will have a negative effect on food accessibility, said area Alderwoman Andrea Pratt, who called the closure “disappointing” in a Friday statement.
“[It] will make it more difficult for many regular customers—especially those who do not have access to a vehicle—to obtain their groceries and other critical items,” she said in an email. “Additionally, it is just the latest development in a trend of recent divestment from neighborhoods where there are already few fresh food resources available to residents.”
Pratt, who was informed of the closure via voicemail, also pointed to a recent wave of Pick ‘n Save closures, which affected locations at 2355 N. 35th St. and 1735 W. Silver Spring Dr., in Glendale.
Sweet Little Waffles Will Replace Szechuan On Busy Street
A breakfast-focused eatery is set to open at 5650 W. Fond du Lac Ave., bringing waffles and fresh-squeezed juice to a long-vacant building once home to Szechuan Chinese Restaurant.
The new venture, Sweet Little Waffles, is led by Otis Moore, an industry veteran of more than two decades who also owns the neighboring Court MVP sports bar, which is temporarily closed.
Moore outlined his vision for Sweet Little Waffles during a recent licenses committee hearing, telling members he hopes to fulfill a community need for fresh, healthy meals.
“The area is really a food desert,” Moore said, noting that the restaurant would specialize in “a variety of different waffles,” with other “healthy breakfast options” also available.
Trio of Downtown Bars, Restaurants Have New Owners
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