When
Explorium Hospitality Group owners
Mike and
Joan Doble were approached by
Dan Katt, the co-founder of
Good City Brewing, to gauge their interest in taking over management of Good City’s four Milwaukee-area locations, the pair questioned if it would be a smart business move.
“The first reaction what ‘why?’” said Mike Doble. “Right before winter, we knew it was going to be challenging. But it made sense the more we thought about it and analyzed where we were going as a brand.”
The husband-and-wife duo had been discussing opening a new location somewhere in Waukesha County, but they didn’t have the capacity to run a new site. Their flagship Explorium location in Greenfield (at Southridge Mall) and a second near Milwaukee’s Historic Third Ward were keeping them incredibly busy. Opening a third location would also be a huge financial investment.
"Last year was not the greatest year for hospitality and for breweries in general," said Doble. "We didn't want to buy another brewery, or the equipment needed, so we were in a holding pattern."
So, Katt’s proposition was looking more and more attractive the longer the Dobles thought about it. Eventually, both parties entered an agreement that led to Explorium acquiring the Good City brand and assets
in January.
Now nearly two months into running the former Good City locations (located on Milwaukee’s East Side, the Deer District, Mequon and Wauwatosa) the Dobles have quickly realized they need to bring some fresh ideas to some of these sites.
The biggest change they announced so far is the closure of the Mequon Public Market location, which opened
in 2022.
"Mequon is geographically challenging. If the location was right off I-43, it'd be a little easier," said Doble. "It became pretty apparent to us that we should find another plan."
The Mequon Public Market location officially closes on Feb. 28.
Smokin’ Jack’s BBQ will take over that space.
The former Good City location in Wauwatosa has officially been flipped into a third Explorium brewpub.
At the East Side and Deer District sites, Mike and Joan Doble are concocting new concepts that will focus on the restaurant side of the business. These new concepts will still be owned by Explorium Hospitality Group but have a different brand name.
"Neither Joan nor I believed that having six Explorium Brewpubs scattered around Milwaukee was probably the best plan," said Doble. “It dilutes us more than we would want.”
Explorium’s next project will be transforming the East Side location. Doble said the restaurant will give guests an approachable yet elevated dining experience with small plates and shareables. The roof will be transformed into a Hawaiian tiki bar to reflect the time the Dobles previously spent on the island paradise.
"The East Side location is going to become our playground of stuff that we want to do and menu items that we really like," said Doble. "I was in the Army for a bit, and we actually lived in Hawaii. The tiki bar will reflect some of our favorite places where we hung out."
An exact concept for the Deer District restaurant is still in the works, but Doble said the site will obviously reflect the basketball culture of the area. More concrete plans will be announced at the end of this basketball season.
"We're not exactly sure what it's going to look like yet, but it definitely needs to change, and it'll definitely be a departure from what's there right now," said Doble.
As for what remains of the former Good City brand, Doble wants to continue making some of the brewery’s more popular beers (like the pilsner and home lager) as long as there is a demand for them – a departure from his initial plan.
Explorium has the right to continue making Good City beer for the next year. After that, additional arrangements can be made between both parties.
"One of the things I learned pretty quickly when we started doing this is that there's a lot of love for certain brands in the market, and there are certain accounts that really, really want those beers," he said. “Right now, my thinking is, as long as there's demand, we'll continue to make them.”
