The Bartolotta Restaurants will soon relocate its headquarters office to Milwaukee’s Walker’s Point neighborhood, the Milwaukee-based hospitality group announced Friday.
The move to 234 W. Florida St. comes as the site of Bartolotta’s longtime headquarters building in the Haymarket neighborhood is transformed into the future home of the Milwaukee Public Museum. That site, at 520 W. McKinley Ave., is part of a combined 2.4 acres the museum purchased in 2021 for nearly $8.1 million from Martin Drive Real Estate LLC, First Partners LLC and Haymarket Properties LLC.
It’s been inevitable that Bartolotta would have to relocate its headquarters since the site for the $240 million museum project was announced in September 2020, but the company said it’s opting to move early to accommodate MPM’s construction schedule.
“While the company has never owned its current office building and had a below-market lease in a highly visible location that continued through 2027, the decision to vacate follows more than 12 years as a fixture of the Haymarket neighborhood,” Bartolotta’s said in a news release.
Groundbreaking for MPM’s new building is slated for late 2023, with Mortenson and ALLCON overseeing construction, and the new five-story museum is expected to open in 2026. MPM’s current home will remain open until the new space is finished. Since demolition work began last summer, two of the three buildings on the development site have been razed. The Bartolotta’s building will be next.
MPM plans to recognize the Bartolotta family at the new museum for its decision to vacate early.
“We recognize the importance of the new museum in Milwaukee, and we view our support as a civic duty that reinforces our commitment to the community,” said Paul Bartolotta, chef, co-founder and owner of The Bartolotta Restaurants. “The decision we have made allows us to pay it forward, as the Milwaukee Public Museum expansion will serve as a statewide cultural, historical, and educational treasure, a symbol of our region’s greatness, and a beacon for friends, family, and neighbors to share for generations to come.”
Bartolotta’s new offices will be located within an 130-year-old former industrial building once occupied by the Gem Hammock & Fly Net Co., according to state historic property records. Today, it’s home to a handful of business including Tailored Salon, Gigi MKE Bridal Boutique and offices for Sesini Law Group, LISC Milwaukee, Chaput Land Survey and others.
