Following Stripper Video, Jack’s Executive Bistro Gets 20-Day Suspension
Northwest side bar and restaurant will close for most of July after 'stripper party' video surfaces.
Jack’s Executive Bistro, 4923 W. Villard Ave. Photo taken June 21, 2023 by Sophie Bolich.
Jack’s Executive Bistro will close for most of next month following a suspension issued Tuesday by the Milwaukee Common Council.
During its June 20 meeting, the council voted unanimously to renew the license for the bar, restaurant and event space, 4923 W. Villard Ave., but only after adding a 20-day suspension.
The suspension will take effect on July 8 and continue through July 27.
At a license renewal hearing on June 6, Licenses Committee members raised concerns regarding a two-item police report for the business, which included a shots fired complaint. What most provoked the ire of the committee, however, was a video showing strippers performing in the establishment’s private event space.
The two-minute clip, according to comments from committee members, included nudity and profanity.
“I did see in the video that they had girls in there dancing and money on the floor,” said business owner Anthony Wilks.
“That’s something that we don’t allow at our establishment,” he added, noting that he wasn’t aware of the events taking place. “People book the hall telling me it’s a birthday party but when it comes down to it, it’s something totally different,” he said. “They breached their contract.”
Wilks told the committee that the private event hall is rented out weekly and typically hosts baby showers, weddings, bridal showers and more.
He also emphasized that he strives to create a family-friendly environment. “I absolutely don’t allow any strippers or any nudity or anything like that in my establishment,” Wilks said. “We’re a family restaurant.”
Alderman Mark Chambers, Jr. told Wilks that the business is “starting off on the wrong foot,” and pointed out inconsistencies in his testimony.
At the end of the hearing, Alderwoman Andrea Pratt moved for a 20-day suspension based on the police report and the video, which she said demonstrated the business’s failure to comply with the approved plan of operation.
Wilks told the committee that he hears their concerns and said that he is continually making changes and improvements as the business progresses.
In an interview after the Common Council decision, Wilks told Urban Milwaukee that the suspension has been a learning experience.
“We’re a new business and we’re definitely still learning every day,” he said. “We’re looking at all the areas we need to improve and planning to do way better.”
Jack’s Executive Bistro has been open for just over a year in the Hampton Heights neighborhood. The bar and restaurant offers alcoholic drinks and hookah, as well as a food menu including chicken wings, pizza, sandwiches and burgers, ribs, lasagna, lamb chops and tacos.
After the business is allowed to reopen, it will resume regular hours, from 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. daily.
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