Another East Side Restaurant Closes
The Original was both upscale and off the beaten path. Now, it's closed.
2498 N. Bartlett Ave. Photo taken Oct. 28, 2024 by Sophie Bolich.
After seven years on Milwaukee’s East Side, The Original has closed its doors for good. The restaurant held its final service in late June, co-owner Eric Rzepka confirmed Monday.
The building, a two-story house with butter-yellow siding in the Riverside Park neighborhood, remains for sale. Located at 2498 N. Bartlett Ave., the property is tucked into a quiet residential block between bustling Oakland Avenue and the Oak Leaf Trail.
Though listed as a turnkey restaurant, Rzepka said potential buyers have two options: purchase the building along with its furniture, fixtures and equipment, or buy just the building at a lower price.
If the latter, he said, the remaining items would be sold at auction.
The property, including the restaurant space, two upstairs apartments and a sheltered outdoor patio, is priced at $805,000 — up from its October 2024 price of $625,000. Jack H. Smith of Shorewest Realtors is the listing agent.
The 3,359-square-foot building was originally constructed in 1895 and has since been home to notable concepts including Calderone Club and Red Dot.
Calderone Club took over the building in 1979, kicking off the multi-generational Italian restaurant business that continues with locations in Downtown Milwaukee and Fox Point. Red Dot later opened as a comfort-casual pub serving sandwiches, poutine, fish fries.
Rzepka, along with his brother, Craig, opened The Original in 2017. The restaurant specialized in New American food and unique craft cocktails, striking a balance between upscale and understated.
Executive Chef Vinny Cornils remained with the business until last winter, when he departed to lead the kitchen at the newly opened Caulfield’s Wine Bar in West Allis.
The closure marks a transition for East Side neighbors and fans of The Original — but also for Rzepka, an engineer-turned-restaurateur whose next steps will take him on a new adventure.
“I’m going in a completely different direction,” he said. “I’m off to do some outdoor climbing, travel — that sort of thing.”
The Original is one of several East Side restaurants to close in recent months. It joins Crossroads Collective, which shuttered along with five independent vendors in early May and L’Incontro, which announced its closure last week.
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So this is how I find out L’Incontro closed… unfortunate.