Transfer Pizzeria’s New Patio Will Feature Vintage City Bus

Transfer Pizzeria’s soon-to-open patio features a restored 1953 city bus. Photo taken June 26, 2025 by Sophie Bolich.

Forget the fast lane. Transfer Pizzeria Cafe is embracing the carpool lane with the upcoming launch of its outdoor patio, featuring a restored 1953 city bus as its centerpiece.

Set to open publicly next month, the updated outdoor space will expand the restaurant with more than a dozen new tables — a significant jump for the mid-sized business, located at 101 W. Mitchell St.

The bus itself, sourced from and restored by Minnesota-based Chameleon Concessions, will also feature seating on board.

Transfer opened a preliminary patio in 2020, allowing it to continue service throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, however, the space has largely operated as an extension of its event venue.

Five years later, the restaurant is back on firmer ground and primed to refocus on the patio, said John Rossetto, who co-owns Transfer with his brother, Russell. But he wanted to offer something “engaging and interesting” — more than just “concrete with chairs on it.”

“So the bus thing just kind of happened,” Rossetto said. “We’ve always had that transit theme in our name, and thought it would be cool to have some sort of related feature in the restaurant.”

Initially, the brothers imagined finding an abandoned vehicle and taking a piece of it back to the restaurant. “We had no real ideas, but we wanted to be creative,” Rossetto said.

After a series of calls and a lucky connection, they reached Chameleon Concessions, a food truck manufacturer, and began the process of restoring and rehoming a bus, which despite being “rotted out,” had serious potential.

“We didn’t think we were gonna get an entire bus, right? That made us kind of think outside of the box,” Rossetto said. “And we decided to try to make it look like the actual buses that ran in Milwaukee back in the 50s.”

The brothers consulted with the Milwaukee County Transit System — specifically, a retired bus driver-turned historian who provided photos and firsthand experience to inform the restoration. Originally a faded turquoise, the bus is now vibrant orange with a cream-colored roof, the color scheme used by The Milwaukee Electric Railway & Light Company. Its windows and doors have been repaired, with two awning-style service windows installed to give waitstaff easy access.

“It’s amazing how many older people — even my dad, who was familiar with buses in the 70s — remember those buses,” Rossetto said. “That’s pretty cool.”

It’s also a hit with younger customers, who enjoy sitting in the driver’s seat, honking the horn and triggering the bus’s old-fashioned buzzer. “Kids just love this thing,” Rossetto said. “They want to climb all over it.”

The patio is not yet open to the public, though Rossetto hopes to hold a grand opening in July. Once fully operational, the patio will be first-come, first-served — at least to start.

“This year is just a learning experience for the patio and bus itself,” Rossetto said, noting that he has plentiful ideas for the future, but wants to find a rhythm in the new space before making any major changes.

In addition to the bus, which sits just west of the restaurant, the patio includes a brick-paved area with planters and string lights.

An exact opening date will be shared on Transfer’s Facebook page. The restaurant is open Tuesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Want to visit by bus? You can ride the GreenLine and routes 15, 54, 56, 80 and 81 to nearly the front door.

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