Pat’s Rib Place to Exit Public Market
Barbecue business will focus on expanding its line of retail sauces. A new vendor will take its place.
Milwaukee Public Market Interior. Photo courtesy of Milwaukee Public Market.
After 15 years at the helm of Pat’s Rib Place, Alisha and Ty Hayes are preparing to transition from the restaurant to retail.
At the end of this month, the married couple plans to exit their vendor stall at the Milwaukee Public Market, 400 N. Water St., where they have garnered an enthusiastic following with an assortment of smoked meats, sides, and homemade barbecue sauces.
The latter will become the Hayes’s main focus moving forward, according to a news release from the market. A new vendor, David Alan Alan’s Smokehouse, is slated to replace the barbeque joint.
“We are deeply grateful for the support we’ve received from our customers and the Market community,” Alisha said in a statement. “We couldn’t be prouder of the impact we had on the local BBQ restaurant industry and are excited to focus on growing our retail line to bring our BBQ sauces to a larger audience.”
Pat’s Rib Place joined the public market as a vendor in 2021, though it has been in business for much longer. The Hayeses first launched the Southern barbecue business in 2009. The restaurant’s Waukesha location closed in 2023 after 14 years in business.
A line of retail barbecue sauces includes the “smoky and mild” Pat’s House; brown sugar and molasses-spiked Brown Brown; Alisha’s Special sweet and spicy sauce and Memphis Mad Dawg, a heat-packed blend inspired by the couple’s hometown.
As of earlier this summer, the sauces are available for purchase at select Meijer stores in Waukesha, Pewaukee, Greenfield and Wauwatosa, according to the company’s website.
The couple said they hope to devote additional time and resources to expanding that list in the coming months.
“We are extremely proud and happy for Alisha and Ty as they embark on this new chapter in their careers,” said Paul Schwartz, executive director of the Milwaukee Public Market and Business Improvement District #2, in a statement. “Their sauces were a customer favorite, and I’m excited that more people will be able to experience their product on a larger scale.”
“At the same time, we are thrilled to welcome David Alan Alan’s Smokehouse to our family of vendors. Their product standards and focus on hospitality fits the Public Market mission perfectly and we look forward to the unique and high-quality BBQ they will bring to the Market.”
The incoming Smokehouse plans to open this fall with a menu of slow-smoked brisket, ribs, pulled pork and other barbecue favorites, along with homemade sides, sauces and smoked cocktails.
The menu is also attentive to gluten-free diners, and features a number of celiac-friendly items.
“Our goal has always been to create a welcoming environment where people can enjoy delicious, high-quality BBQ,” said co-owner Dave O’Bryan. “We are excited to bring our smokehouse experience to Milwaukee, especially to the #1 Best Public Market in the country.”
O’Bryan and his wife, Tina, launched the barbecue business several years ago and continue to operate a flagship location in Mukwonago.
Pat’s Rib Place will remain open through the end of the month at the market, with its final day of service falling on Wednesday, July 31.
The counter-service restaurant is open daily from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
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Rentals space overhead is same issue as what happened with Grand Avenue Mall. Small business gets squeezed out of business locations.
Ah, so maybe this was part of the reason Oprah visited Pat’s last week!
You see so many food businesses these days choose to opt out of storefronts if they can lean into a strength online/delivery or in other ways, for example, in grocery stores. I’ve never tried Pat’s and now wonder what all the fuss is about re: their sauces! Good that another business is ready to take over the location.
I’ve got a buddy who took over a commercial kitchen last year and business is booming, not just with smaller businesses doing catering or farmer’s markets, but bigger businesses with solid delivery. The economy is a changing…