Who Will Save Turner Hall Restaurant?

As the Milwaukee Bucks prepared for their first home game on October 31^st, and the Admirals moved into their third week of the season, the future of the Turner Hall Restaurant, across the street from the BMO Harris Bradley Center, was just getting resolved. Late last month, Bradley Center officials announced they will no longer operate the restaurant, in order to concentrate on business within the Bradley Center. Back in 2012 the Bradley Center financed renovations to the restaurant that preserved the stained glass architecture and murals that date back to the late 1800’s, and had operated the restaurant since then.

Enter Major Goolsby’s, which has just announced it will take over the restaurant.

Known nationally as one of the nation’s top sports bars, Goolsby’s sits on the corner of Kilbourn and 4^th St, just one block south of Turner Hall, and is planning an opening for its restaurant by mid-November.

Brocach Irish Pub & Restaurant is closing its Milwaukee location this Friday, which opened in 2007 at 1850 N. Water St. The owners will continue to operate both of the Brocach locations in Madison, in addition to a related catering business. Last Monday, Red Lion Pub posted a press release via social media announcing they will take over the space on Tannery Row early this December. Red Lion Pub is a “soccer themed British pub” operated by a management group made up of the managing partners of both Red Rock Saloon and McGillycuddy’s, and of Three Lions Pub. The menu will apparently switch its loyalties from Irish to British fare, with pasties and fish and chips, and English spirits, beers and ales.

Riverwest Pizza is opening where Café Vocar used to be. The building is located one block east of Humboldt at 932 E. Wright St. Shawn Hutchens, owner of the Green Fields stores on the East Side, recently bought the building. He and his partners will be remodeling the building and the restaurant’s opening will depend on when they finish. They hope to open by the beginning of winter.  Aside from pizza, the menu will include sandwiches, appetizers, salads and a full bar.

A new lounge to be called Lucid and a connecting banquet space to be called the Garden will be coming to 725 – 729 N. Milwaukee St., joining the row of restaurants and bars on this block between Wisconsin Ave. and Mason St. The development of the lounge/banquet has been progressing for the past couple of weeks, as we’ve noted. SURG partner Omar Shaikh has said the spaces will connect with the intention of using them together for events.

Camp Bar is opening their second location at 6600 W. North Ave in Wauwatosa.The new space evokes the feel of a classic North Woods cabin, with a moose head, wood paneling and a fireplace.  Though we wouldn’t recommend wearing blaze orange. The bar will serve wine and tap beer and seat 34 people. The bar doesn’t have a kitchen, but patrons will be able to order pizza from Cranky Al’s next door.