New Owner Gives Uncle Buck’s Bar A Fresh Start

Michelle Le. Photo taken by Lauren Hafeman.

As a young girl, Michelle Le watched her parents find their footing in Milwaukee after immigrating from Vietnam. “It is a typical immigrant story. My parents came here with no money, worked their way up and eventually my mom was able to buy a nail salon,” Le said. “I learned how to run a business with her. Starting my first year of college, I helped her run the back end of operations.”

That experience, said Le, instilled a drive to become a business owner herself. As she entered adulthood, earned an MBA from UW-Milwaukee and worked jobs in corporate operations management for nearly 10 years, her entrepreneurial dream stuck with her.

In June, her dream came true. She took over ownership of Uncle Buck’s on Third, 1125 N. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr., a massive three-story bar and restaurant space that blends northwoods charm with industrial design, taxidermied Wisconsin bucks with modern lighting and stereo systems. It is located in the Old World Third Street entertainment district, a short walk from Fiserv Forum by foot.

Uncle Buck’s was previously owned by Michael Vitucci, a service-industry veteran who opened several bars and restaurants over 40 years. Vitucci slowly began divesting in 2023, citing a plan to retire. By March of this year, according to an announcement by US Bank, Uncle Buck’s was Vitucci’s last bar. Paul Penoske briefly took over ownership before selling it to Le.

“Paul, Mike and I have a great relationship; I call them all the time. They help me out because I’m new to the industry,” Le said. “I want to honor what they built.”

“But I am also excited to make Uncle Buck’s my own,” continued Le. “I have introduced new menu items, new management and a new head chef.”

These changes, said Le, are helping her build “a strong identity” for Uncle Buck’s — an identity she described as “great service, great food, great experience, every time.”

Le’s Changes

Soon after taking over, Le hired Jay Fouche as Uncle Buck’s head chef. Last week, the pair launched a menu with new items.

Le and Fouche added 12” pizzas, a chicken wrap, a club sandwich, an appetizer sampler platter and a soup flight. Le mentioned that Fouche has been adding more flavor and spice to the menu’s sauce options.

Fouche said he is working on more new menu items and is hoping to roll them out in the next few months.

“I’m trying to bring ‘the vibe’ to Uncle Buck’s and make a brand out of it,” Fouche said.

The bar program has also received updates. Le introduced more Carbliss flavor options (a Wisconsin-made canned cocktail line), and added Stella Artois and Michelob Ultra to the tap list. Le is also working with her new manager to create a specialty fall drink menu and design event-specific cocktails for upcoming DJ sets, speed dating meetups and private parties.

She is also adding customization to the restaurant’s private events program. She is introducing a tier system, where guests can choose differently priced food-and-beverage packages.

“Everybody has a different way of looking at their party,” she said. “I want our guests to know that we can accommodate and build out their vision.”

Le also extended Uncle Buck’s hours — it is now open from 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday, and from 11 a.m.-2:30 a.m. Friday and Saturday.

“When Paul showed me the place, he told me, ‘it may scare you or interest you,’” Le said as she laughed. “But all I could think was, ‘This is a great place to be. It has a rooftop bar!’ It’s been hard work, but I am happy to continue learning as much as I can and keep Uncle Buck’s legacy going.”

Photos

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