The Milwaukee Bucks will add its own bar restaurant to the roster of food and beverage tenants planned at the Entertainment Block the team is developing near Fiserv Forum.
The tavern, called The Mecca Sports Bar and Grill, will open in late April in the two-story building that also houses the newly-opened Good City Brewing taproom and production facility.
-
- Rendering of the bar’s exterior.
-
- Rendering of the bar’s interior.
BizTimes Milwaukee early Thursday afternoon reported the plans based on information obtained from an occupancy permit that was filed with the City of Milwaukee.
The 11,500-square-foot space will feature a 36-foot high-definition screen that will be visible from both the ground and upper level of the bar. It will include two bar areas with space for 600 people, outdoor seating on both levels and arena-style seating on the upper level.
The Mecca will serve upscale bar fare such as burgers, wings and sandwiches, but with a twist. Wisconsin-favorites including cheese curds and nachos will also be on the menu, and its full bar selection will celebrate local breweries and distilleries, said Micahel Belot, senior vice president of Bucks ventures and development.
The name of the sports bar is a nod to the MECCA Arena, former home of the Bucks (before the Bradley Center was built) that is now known as the UWM Panther Arena.
There will be tributes to that arena and Bucks’ history throughout the bar, but it will be a destination for all sports fans, Belot said.
“The Mecca Sports Bar and Grill will be a major attraction for Milwaukee’s passionate sports fans,” Belot said. “The Entertainment Block has a bold future, and we are proud to give homage to the Bucks’ rich past by bestowing the sports bar and grill with the Mecca name.”
The new sports bar will be the fourth tenant announced for the Entertainment Block, and the fifth drinking establishment on the strip. The development includes two, two-story buildings separated by a Bucks-operated outdoor beer garden.
The northern building houses Good City Brewing and will house The Mecca. The southern building will be split between Drink Wisconsinbly’s 3,500-square-foot pub and merchandise shop opening in early April, and Punch Bowl Social’s 24,000-square-foot “eatertainment” concept.
Punch Bowl Social’s grand opening date has not been officially announced. Signage was being installed Thursday morning to the top of the building.
