Milwaukee bar and lifestyle brand Drink Wisconsinbly plans to open a new location next to Fiserv Forum.
In September, Braden Plumbing applied for a permit, which was later approved, to install interior plumbing for Drink Wisconsinbly at 320 W. Highland Ave. in Milwaukee, which is in the Milwaukee Bucks’ Entertainment Block across the street (Vel R. Phillips Ave./Herb Kohl Way) from the arena. It is the same address being used by national “eatertainment” chain Punch Bowl Social for its new two-story, 24,000-square-foot location in the Entertainment Block development. In its September liquor license application for the site, Punch Bowl indicated there would be one other business unit in the same building, which had not yet been determined.
The Milwaukee Bucks declined to comment about the Drink Wisconsinbly development.
The Bucks have been actively pursuing tenants for the Entertainment Block, which they had initially hoped to open this fall when the new $524 million arena opened. In addition to Punch Bowl Social’s plans, a beer garden is operating and Good City Brewing will open a brewery in January in the development. The timing of the Entertainment Block completion has been pushed back to spring 2019.
Drink Wisconsinbly sponsors three bars in the arena itself as part of the Bucks’ food and beverage program. In June, Drink Wisconsinbly owner Ryan Walther formed Wisconsinbly Holdings LLC and raised $1.5 million with an eye toward expanding the brand through new ventures.
Drink Wisconsinbly also operates a separate bar in Milwaukee’s Walker’s Point neighborhood called Drink Wisconsinbly Pub & Grub, which through DW Pub LLC licenses the Drink Wisconsinbly name, image and likeness. That entity was tied up in a legal dispute over ownership and licensing fees until September, when the case was settled, according to court filings.
