Longtime Italian restaurant Louise’s in Brookfield will have its last day of service on Sunday, shutting its doors after 14 years.
Owner R.C. Schmidt, who opened the restaurant in 2004 at 275 Regency Court, has sold the building to an unknown buyer, manager Scott Wilson said. Louise’s downtown Milwaukee location, which Schmidt opened in 1998, will remain open.
Louise’s employees have been offered positions at the numerous Milwaukee-area bars and restaurants owned by Schmidt, Wilson said. They include Vagabond, Trinity Three Irish Pubs and The Harp Irish Pub, all located in downtown Milwaukee, and Water Street Brewery, with locations in downtown Milwaukee, Delafield, Oak Creek and Grafton.
Wilson said business had been declining for Louies’s since The Corners of Brookfield opened last year, bringing to the area a new selection of restaurants, including BelAir Cantina and Cafe Hollander.
“(Schmidt) is selling off the real estate of businesses that aren’t doing as well,” Wilson said.
Schmidt’s East Side pub, Black Rose, was another of those businesses. He closed the bar last month and sold the building to a new owner.
