The prominent 25,000-square-foot building that previously housed Punch Bowl Social in downtown Milwaukee’s Deer District won’t sit empty for much longer.
That’s thanks to plans by Milwaukee-based Bars & Recreation to open its newest entertainment concept there later this year. To be known as The New Fashioned, the venue will feature local food and drink options, immersive entertainment and a retail component showcasing locally made goods, according to a news release Wednesday.
Calling the new concept a “must-visit destination” for both locals and tourists in Milwaukee, Bars & Recreation president and CEO Marla Poytinger said she’s in talks with local restauranteurs to partner on the project. The company is currently hiring several key leadership roles in sales, marketing, social media, food and beverage and operations to support the new venue.
Additional details on the new Deer District location are set to be unveiled at a joint press conference with the Milwaukee Bucks on Jan. 24. Poytinger told BizTimes Wednesday that she planned to file the necessary license applications with the city later that day.
The New Fashioned will join Bars & Rec’s line of immersive activity bars in the Milwaukee area, including AXE MKE, NorthSouth Club, Splash Studio, Nine Below, Amped and Game Show MKE, along with another soon-to-open location in West Allis at the former CasTech building. Bars & Rec is an SBA-certified woman-owned small business.
“I’m so proud to be growing this company again, especially after the challenges of the last few years in this industry,” said Poytinger. “Between The New Fashioned project and our West Allis expansion, we’ll be adding 35,000 square feet of prime hospitality space to our diverse portfolio – just prior to what is sure to be an incredible summer in Milwaukee.”
In fact, The New Fashioned — and the rest of the Deer District — will have a unique front row seat to this summer’s headlining event, the Republican National Convention, taking place July 15-18.
With Fiserv Forum as the convention’s main venue, and the nearby Baird Center and UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena as designated media work spaces, it’s safe to say the Entertainment Block will be limited in access by the the event’s security perimeter, to be determined and enforced by the U.S. Secret Service. Any hospitality venues within that secured area will likely be booked out by major media outlets and convention-related groups during the week of the RNC. For example, for the 2020 Democratic National Convention, CNN had initially planned to take over Turner Hall as its main coverage hub.
As for The New Fashioned venue, Poytinger didn’t have much to share but said it will “definitely be an important space during the convention.”
“We will be absolutely ready to go and welcoming lots of customers, visitors and tourists, so we’re super excited for that,” she said.
Punch Bowl Social permanently closed its Deer District location in October. The national “eatertainment” chain was one of four original anchor tenants to move into the Entertainment Block adjoining Fiserv Forum, as part of the Bucks’ sprawling Deer District development. Punch Bowl opened in March 2019 to much fanfare, only to close a year later amid the COVID-19 pandemic, which drove its former parent company to file for bankruptcy. The venue didn’t reopen until March 2022 following a months-long legal dispute with its new operators and property owner, the Milwaukee Bucks. Now, the franchise is looking to Bars & Rec to breathe new life into the two-story space.
“We are so excited to partner with Bars & Recreation on bringing The New Fashioned to Deer District,” said Michael Belot, senior vice president of Bucks Ventures and Development. “Deer District is continuously redefining downtown Milwaukee as a destination for both the community and tourists, and we are thrilled to welcome the first woman-owned small business to Deer District.”
