Ice Cream Shop Proposed For Lincoln Village
Chu-Chi's Ice Cream Shop would open at 6th Street and Cleveland Avenue, selling frozen treats, soda and snacks.
Site of future Chu-Chi’s Ice Cream Shop, 2691 S. 6th St. Photo taken Aug. 4, 2023 by Sophie Bolich.
A new shop selling ice cream, popsicles, soda and juice is proposed to open later this summer in the Lincoln Village neighborhood, offering an array of cooling treats to guard against the soaring heat index.
Josephine Vargas, a Bay View resident, plans to open Chu-Chi’s Ice Cream Shop at 2691 S. 6th St., the site of the former La Pasadita Bar.
In a license application for the business, Vargas noted that she plans to run a “family-oriented” establishment.
The building’s dance floor and two bars — remnants of the previous business — will soon be replaced with ice cream freezers, a topping station and display cases for an array of snacks, drinks and frozen desserts.
According to a plan of operation submitted to the city, Chu-Chi’s Ice Cream Shop will offer both indoor and outdoor seating. The business will occupy 1,824-square-feet within a stand-alone building originally constructed in 1901.
Luis Gonzalez Lopez, who previously owned La Pasadita Bar, is the building owner. He also operates La Hamaca, a nightclub located at 1993 S. Muskego Ave.
La Pasadita Bar operated at the address from 2015 until late 2022, when the Milwaukee Common Council voted to close the establishment, citing a history of shootings at the site of the tavern, as well as an over-saturation of liquor licenses in the area.
Several months before the closure, a new owner attempted to take over operations at the bar. Carmen Armendariz, a one-time manager at La Pasadita, began running the establishment in spring of 2022. At the time of the Common Council decision, Armendariz had made minor changes to the business and was preparing to rename it La China.
Armendariz now has her sights set on a different location. In May, she told Urban Milwaukee of her plans to open La China at 1339 S. 7th St., where she intends to offer alcohol, food and entertainment.
The proposed hours for Chu-Chi’s Ice Cream Shop are Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Saturday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Vargas could not be reached for comment by the time of publication.
Photos
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