A new restaurant opened recently in Milwaukee's Walker's Point neighborhood that offers a dining experience much cozier than what many are used to in today's post-COVID world.
Located at 1033 S. First St., the aptly named
1033 serves raw-bar seafood and small plates in a chef's table-style format. The 650-square-foot space seats 14 people, not at individual tables, but around one shared high-top counter, "reminiscent of intimate gatherings of friends and family, often congregating around the kitchen counter," the restaurant described in a news release.
1033 is the second concept for Milwaukee-based
WACH Hospitality founders
Rob Levin and
Tony Bisciglia, who also own 2A Wine Merchants in the Historic Third Ward. They've partnered with local James Beard Award-nominated chef Justin Carlisle, who owns Ardent (another small-format restaurant) and Red Light Ramen, both on the East Side.
Carlisle had operated his Mexican-style taqueria The Laughing Taco out of the 1033 space before closing that location in late 2021. When Levin reached out to his friend Carlisle a few months later looking for a chef for his new concept, Carlisle still had the lease on the space. He suggested Levin come take a look, but warned him it was small.
"So, I walked in and my first gut reaction was, wow, this is really small, and then my second gut reaction was, this is perfect," said Levin, who already had a vision for a small-format restaurant.
Within 60 days, WACH Hospitality had met with the landlord and negotiated a five-year lease under the same terms Laughing Taco had. Interior construction - mostly cosmetic upgrades and design work led by Milwaukee-based Three Sixty - began in October.
The idea for the 1033 started taking shape in mid-2022 as Levin and Bisciglia realized the need for another revenue stream in addition to 2A, which
opened in July 2021. The partners are both restaurateurs by trade; the wine shop and tasting room was their first step into retail.
"We knew 2A was most likely not going to be a massive revenue generator, it was more about an outlet of our passions and our desire to bring wine to the Milwaukee community in a more accessible way," said Levin. "I think we’ve overachieved and continue to achieve those initial goals but the profit in retail is minimal, it was a little bit more minimal than we expected."
They wanted to return to their roots, but considering how drastically the restaurant industry had shifted since the COVID-19 pandemic, the approach and business model had to be different - and on a smaller scale than their previous ventures.
"Everything we wanted to do was to break the sameness of restaurateuring," said Levin.
They set out to create something that is, according to Levin, "completely unique and is an expression of what I think is the best way to eat - and that's around other humans who are soulful and who want to share food and drink wine and watch it be produced and have meaningful moments."
1033's simple, yet sophisticated menu also sets it apart.
"There’s nowhere else in Milwaukee doing full raw bar," Levin said. "There’s plenty of places to get oysters - we love them all - but no one is really going into the lobster piece, muscle piece, caviar piece on a nightly basis."
In addition to raw bar selections, which are all sourced from small coastal farmers and flown in overnight, 1033 serves seafood tins, cured meats and cheese and other seasonal small plates such as beet salad, scallops and mushroom porridge donabe. Bread is sourced from Milwaukee-based Rocket Baby Bakery and fresh produce from small farms. 1033's beverage selection includes a 34-bottle rotating wine list and a handful of signature cocktails.
The restaurant does two turns of 14 diners Tuesday through Saturday. While reservations are required for dinner, walk-ins are welcome for the after-dinner "chef's selection" happy hour from 9-10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
1033's business model was designed to fit its 650-square-foot space, said Levin. Without space to store inventory, the restaurant doesn't purchase more than it's able to sell quickly. Plus, a small-scale menu with items that are easily assembled helps keep overhead costs down.
"It keeps us in our lane and focused on what we're trying to achieve," Levin said of the restaurant's small format.
Serving a low volume of 24 to 28 diners per night, 1033's lean five-person team is trained in the "
art of hospitality," delivering a level of service that Levin said has faded from much of the industry in the wake of COVID-19.
"(The space) is so controlled that everyone is getting so much love," he said. "No one is getting lost at the table that no one wants to sit at. Every table, every space is part of the energy, is part of our team to be able to capitalize on reading their energy and excelling at their needs. The whole 360 degrees of what’s important for food or beverage is being accomplished and I think that's positively overwhelming for anyone who walks in there."Â
