Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport recently announced it has added two new restaurants to its revamped roster of food and beverage and retail offerings.
Side-by-side concepts the Great American Bagel Bakery and the Garden District Kitchen and Bar opened last week in Concourse D. With daily operating hours from 5 a.m. to noon, Great American’s menu is limited to coffee, breakfast items and, as evidenced by the name, bagels in various flavors.
Meanwhile, Garden District is open daily from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., with breakfast, lunch, and dinner options, as well as alcoholic beverages. Airport director Brian Dranzik said the name pays homage to the airport’s surrounding neighborhood, the Garden District.
In keeping with the concept’s local theme, the bar was created using equipment manufactured by Milwaukee-based Perlick Corp. The company manufacturers commercial bar and beverage systems, residential undercounter refrigeration and brewery fittings.
“We at Perlick are very excited to be a part of the upscale new Garden District Kitchen and Bar at MKE,” said Theodore Perlick Molinari, vice president of special projects, general counsel and corporate secretary for the company.
He said the bar’s central location provides an opportunity to expose both locals and visitors to the company and show off its products. The eatery is also decorated with nods to Perlick Corp.’s longstanding history in Milwaukee.
In response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and airport safety guidelines, Garden District Kitchen and Bar is equipped with seat coverings, plastic barriers, and touchless ordering.
Both Great American Bagel Bakery and the Garden District Kitchen and Bar are operated by food and beverage contractor HMSHost and its partners Newburns Management Group LLC and Apex Business Solutions and Development LLC.
Their openings are part of Milwaukee Mitchell’s ongoing efforts to upgrade and expand concessions and shops throughout the building. Starbucks and Cousins Subs opened new restaurants in Concourse C in Sept. 2019, and the Baron’s Beer Garden opened in the same area earlier this year, replacing Valentine Coffee Roasters. In addition, Concourse C this summer became home to a new gift shop, Bronzeville Crossing, which sells a selection of local products sourced from some of Bronzeville’s Black-owned businesses in addition to the typical snacks, magazines and souvenirs that travelers would typically find at an airport gift shop.
