The Vig Is a Really Big Show

The Vig. Photo by Michael Horne.

At 507 feet, The Couture, 909 E. Michigan St., is Wisconsin’s tallest residential structure. Its 323 apartments feature lake and skyline views, with penthouses on the uppermost reaches of the 44-story building, which opened in 2023. Far below this is more than 50,000 square feet of retail space spread over three levels, of which 8,500 square feet on the second floor is now The VIG Milwaukee, an upscale casual restaurant.

We’re talking about a restaurant in “the city’s first true transit-oriented development … where rapid transit is just an elevator ride away,” as the building’s brochure claims. With that in mind, I thought it would be fun to hop on the streetcar’s F Line at Burns Commons and ride the entire route to its terminus beneath The Couture. Once arrived, I would take the elevator up to the bar. Two-buck oysters and four-dollar beers clinched the deal. I was on my way as quick as you can say “happy hour” (3-6 p.m.).

The Arrival

First-floor doors. Photo by Michael Horne.

As I left the free streetcar, I noted attendants in the courtyard, behind placards that read “Valet Parking $12.” Very well, this big-city transit connection saved me six oysters’ worth of cash. First-floor entry doors were emblazoned with The Vig‘s logo, yet I was directed to the outdoor stairs. No way in the rain in my Allen Edmonds! But I was informed that if I wanted to take an elevator, I would have to walk over to the adjacent parking garage. The lift there was unmarked, and on the second floor it exited to a bridge leading me to the entrance, beyond a 2,000-square-foot outdoor seating area with red and white seats and a profusion of potted plants.

Once entered, it was as if I were in another world — a world with “design inspired by 1950s era sporting parlors,” the owners promised, the  said parlors likely located some 90 miles to the south in the City of Wind, where two Vigs operate in Old Town and the West Loop. The operators of the Legacy Hospitality Group, led by Ryan S. Marks, had sought a third location for some time, and settled on the Couture, promising:

Food and service of upscale casual concepts with the warmth of your neighborhood favorites, beautiful environment and speed of service.

Marks has said his mission was to restore “the lost art of conversation.” His architects at Barker/Nestor, a Chicago firm founded in 1997, have nearly 1,000 restaurant commissions to their credit. “Anyone can design a ‘trendy’ restaurant or venue. Not everyone can design one with a soul,” according to the firm. Well, they designed the heck out of this place, and in a “Make No Little Plans” fashion, the result is casual yet overwhelming. The VIG is designed with no shortage of nooks and crannies, private dining rooms, a disco booth, and a central bar overlooking the lake.

I found a seat at the bar and took in the scene. Off in one corner a business group gathered; above the bar were six televisions that blended into the scene. There were padded, backed chairs with brass foot rails set above a black-and-white checkerboard tile floor. The scene was lit by the floor-to-ceiling windows and scores of custom light fixtures that you need to know an architect to buy. Two women, well coiffed and manicured, one with fingernails the color of a “Caribbean Blue” Nash Metropolitan, seemed to be regulars even though the place had not yet been open one week. Judging from the looks of things, they arrived by elevator from above or were regular customers of the beauty parlor directly across. It was too early to stereotype the other customers, who seemed to come from a diverse lot. However, none arrived in tank tops and flip-flops fresh from the beach, although management says they are perfectly welcome. Perhaps they are out of season right now and will return in late spring. I gazed out the window and saw the giant Discovery World complex. Looming behind it was an even larger cruise ship docked there. Certainly travelers to The VIG might even arrive by sea. It’s a nice feeling to have a big city right in your own hometown.

The Vig is a Big Operation

As a manager put it, “The music is big! The lighting is big!” So is the staff, which numbers over 100. Rent is about $1,000 per day. Then there is the matter of the food, utilities, and the generous compensation of the employees. A stated goal of the restaurant group is that employees come first, and that both customers and staff shall be treated well and be eager to return: “Our mission is to deliver extraordinary experiences where team members and guests feel seen and excited to return.” Yes, this is a tavern with a mission statement, as befits any highly capitalized business enterprise.

Amid the busyness, I ordered something on the menu that you will never find anywhere in Chicago — Spotted Cow Beer (“Only in Wisconsin”), a sixteen-ounce pour available all day for only $4. It appeared instantly, and was not to last much longer. With some trepidation I ordered a half-dozen oysters. How could I possibly be found in this crowd? But find me the  server did, arriving promptly. I gobbled the bivalves, downed the beer and paid my bill — all in the space of eleven minutes between order and exit. On the way out I took a tour of the various rooms and admired the immensity of the tiled surfaces. The place should be easy to clean. There is a bathroom for “Gentlemen,” “Ladies,” and a unisex one labeled “Restroom,” all painted in black script on frosted windows. The fixtures are Kohler. Corridors are lined with photographs and old Life Magazine covers with a sporting theme. Fortunately it is light-humored, and beyond the name, not too heavy on the gambling angle. No “Amusement Only” machines, but there is a pay phone booth for you to call in your bets.

What is “Vig”?

This place doesn’t just have a menu, it has a glossary. According to management:

“VIG” is short for the English slang word vigorish. It represents the bookie’s or house’s cut on a bet.

Why Does a Train Run Through this Building?

The Hop station at The Couture. Photo by Michael Horne.

It took a decade from 2012 concept to 2022 for the complex financing for the Couture to be assembled and construction begun on the $200 million project. The site had previously held an obsolete transit center. Unless it maintained that use, the county would have had to pay the federal government for the land. With the bus rapid transit line to Waukesha and The Hop Lakefront Line proposed to make use of the space, that difficulty was eliminated. Urban Milwaukee’s Jeramey Jannene covered the development from groundbreaking to ribbon cutting in scores of articles.

On Tap - Sponsored by Lakefront Brewery

• Allagash White
• Bud Light
• Coors Light
• Guinness Draught
• Michelob Ultra
• Miller Lite
• Modelo Especial
• Montucky Cold Snacks
• New Glarus Spotted Cow
• Stella Artois
• Third Space Happy Place
• Lakefront Riverwest Stein Beer
•  Eagle Park Set List

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The Verdict

• Name: The VIG Milwaukee
• Location: The Couture,  Second Floor, 909 E Michigan St. City of Milwaukee
• Neighborhood: Juneau Town
• Subdivision: The Couture Lakefront, a Condominium in the SW 1/4 Section 28 Town 7 Range 22E
• Phone Number: 414-240-7550
• Website: https://www.vigmke.com/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thevigmilwaukee
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thevigmke/
• Description: Over 8,000 square feet of nostalgia laced with urbanism. Big city feeling, club vibe weekends after 9. Lovely ambience and views.
• Restrooms: Three: Gentlemen, Ladies and Rest Room
• Year Established: 2026
• Year Building Constructed: 2023
• Annual Rent: $329,439.96. However, the first 10 months of rent were abated while construction was underway
• Property is assessed at $10,000,000 for the 80,620 s.f. lot [$124/s.f.] and $120,000,000 for the building, for a total assessed valuation of $130,000,000
• Property taxes: $2,567,847.98. Payments are current on the installment plan
• Property Owner: The Couture LLC
• Legal Name: The VIG Milwaukee LLC. Organized 02/17/2026. Ryan Shaw Marks, registered agent
• Business Owners: Ryan Shaw Marks 69%. No other individual owns 20 percent or more of stock
• Agent: Ronald S. Stadler
• Business: Full Service Restaurant and Tavern
• Source of Sales: Alcohol 38%, Food 60%, Entertainment 2%
• Capacity: Not Found, but it is big
• Walk Score: 92, Walker’s Paradise. City Average: 62
• Transit Score: 60, Good Transit. City Average: 49. Seems light, considering it is a rail and bus rapid transit hub
• Bike Score: 74 Very Bikeable. City Average: 58
• Bike Rack:  Protected parking within transit hub; outdoor racks on street
• Entertainment: Instrumental Musicians, DJ
• Aldermanic District: 4th; Robert Bauman
• County Supervisor District: 3rd; Sheldon Wasserman
• Police District: 1

Hours of Operation

• Monday – Thursday  3:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m.
• Friday  11:30 a.m. to  2:30 a.m.
• Saturday 10:00 a.m.  to  2:30 a.m.
• Sunday 10:00 a.m.  to 12:00 a.m.

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