Fish and Chicken Restaurant Proposed For East Town
80 Proof Milwaukee to replace shuttered après ski bar and burrito restaurant on Jefferson St.
782 N. Jefferson St. Photo taken Nov. 20, 2023, by Sophie Bolich.
As Cathedral Square prepares for its annual Bastille Days festival, a new bar and restaurant is taking shape nearby.
80 Proof Milwaukee is slated to open at 782 N. Jefferson St., bringing a casual menu of seafood, sandwiches and chicken wings — plus alcoholic beverages — to a tavern-heavy block in East Town.
Kenneth Mays would lead the business, citing several years of experience as the owner of Five Corner Fish Market at 6016 W. Lisbon Ave., which he has operated since 2023.
According to a license application, 80 Proof would offer the same menu as the fish market, serving battered and fried catfish, perch, cod and shrimp, alongside chicken wings, po’ boys and Philly cheesesteaks. Starters and sides could include breaded mushrooms, fried okra, hush puppies and Jerk egg rolls, with desserts such as banana pudding and cheesecake also listed.
Five Corner Fish Market does not serve alcohol. Mays applied for a liquor license in 2025, but the Milwaukee Common Council denied the request, citing a high concentration of liquor establishments in the surrounding area.
In contrast, 80 Proof expects 60% of its revenue to come from liquor sales, with the remaining 40% from food sales.
Mays has also requested permission to offer hookah service, a jukebox, dancing, karaoke and a pool table. The business has no plans to hire promoters and said it will not use sound amplification.
The tavern is proposed for a 4,754-square-foot space that was previously home to two separate businesses: après ski bar Experts Only and quick-service restaurant Barrel Burrito Company.
The concepts debuted in 2023 under Caravan Hospitality Group but shuttered abruptly in early 2026. A trio of investors later proposed consolidating the spaces into a single concept, Burrito Donkey, but ultimately dropped those plans. Another Caravan-operated location, SportClub, closed at the same time but has since reopened under new ownership.
80 Proof would join a growing number of bars and restaurants surrounding Cathedral Square Park, which hosts year-round community gatherings and events ranging from Bastille Days and weekly jazz concerts to the Milwaukee Holiday Lights Festival.
A license application for 80 Proof Milwaukee is pending before the City of Milwaukee. The business’s proposed hours of operation are Monday through Thursday from 2 p.m. to 1 a.m., Friday from 2 p.m. to 2:30 a.m., Saturday from noon to 2:30 a.m. and Sunday from noon to midnight.
Mays could not be reached for comment by publication time.
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