Oregon, Wis.-based Gorman & Company is seeking a brew pub tenant to occupy a 5,000-square-foot ground floor retail space in the Brewhouse Inn & Suites, a 90-unit extended-stay hotel that it is developing in the former Brew House and Mill House buildings in the former Pabst brewery complex in downtown Milwaukee.
A groundbreaking ceremony for the project was held this week. The hotel is expected to open in November of 2012.
“The best case is we find someone who’s already operating a brew pub that wants to open another spot,” said Gary Gorman, president of Gorman & Company. “That’s what we’re shooting for.”
However, if the company can not attract a tenant for the space it will open and operate a brew pub there itself.
“We won’t leave it vacant,” Gorman said.
However, he made it clear he would prefer to attract an experienced restaurant operator for the space.
“My restaurant experience is from working as a car hob at A&W,” Gorman said.
Gorman had been in negotiations with Cincinnati Restaurant Group to open a Hoffbrauhaus in the hotel, but a deal never came together. Cincinnati Restaurant Group previously planned to open a Hoffbrauhaus in the Best Place complex at the former Pabst brewery, but that those plans fell through.
The restaurant space will be in the former Mill House building and plans include an outdoor beer garden.
The original copper brew kettles in the Brew House building will be incorporated into the mezzanine area of the hotel.
