New Owners Plot Return of Pizza Man To Downer Avenue
Permit request signals restaurant will have new life.
Pizza Man is making plans to reopen on Downer Avenue, less than two weeks after announcing the permanent closure of its final location in the city of Milwaukee.
A permit request was filed Thursday to install its hallmark blade sign at 2597 N. Downer Ave., one of its previous locations. Pizza Man exited the East Side space in early 2023 and relocated briefly to 2060 N. Humboldt Ave., where it operated until the April 16 closure.
As the restaurant prepares for its next steps, there are new owners at the helm. License records indicate that previous owner, Za Man LLC, sold the business to PM2 MGR LLC in early 2024.
The new ownership group includes Thomas Schafer and Krzysztof Zielinski, each of whom own a 48.5% share of the business. Jose “Miguel” Mayoral is the restaurant’s executive chef and is listed as the registered agent for the limited liability company.
According to license records, the group took ownership of the restaurant prior to its closure. The owners also filed for an occupancy permit at the Humboldt Avenue address in February.
The East Side location, however, may be a better fit for the partners. Schafer, an East Side resident, lives near Downer Avenue. Zielinski, meanwhile, has a history in the area. He was previously a co-owner of VIA Downer, a sister restaurant to Transfer Pizza which once operated at 2625 N. Downer Ave. That space is now home to BelAir Cantina.
Pizza Man originally opened in 1970 at the corner of E. North and N. Oakland avenues, but closed after a devastating fire in 2010. It reopened with a new ownership group at 2597 N. Downer Ave. in 2013, where it remained until 2023.
Bridge33 Capital owns the Downer Avenue space, as well as much of the surrounding commercial corridor. The firm acquired much of the Downer Avenue commercial strip, including the Downer Theatre space, in 2020 for $11.25 million.
In February 2023, Bridge33 filed a lawsuit against former Pizza Man owner Za Man LLC, an affiliate of F Street Group. According to online court records, the case was settled in early 2024.
Pizza Man maintains a location in Wauwatosa. Previous locations also include those in Oak Creek and Mequon.
The returning restaurant will find one substantial change on Downer Avenue. The neighboring Downer Theatre reopened earlier this month under new ownership.
A representative of PM2 MGR LLC did not respond to a request for comment by the time of publication.
Existing members must be signed in to see the interactive map. Sign in.
If you think stories like this are important, become a member of Urban Milwaukee and help support real, independent journalism. Plus you get some cool added benefits.
