Nathaniel Davauer, the owner of the
Draft & Vessel bars in Shorewood, Wauwatosa and Milwaukee, has submitted a proposal to open a new food and beverage concept at
Vel R. Phillips Plaza, which the city is building south of Wisconsin Avenue between North 5th Street and North Vel R. Phillips Avenue downtown.
The operation, which is yet to be named, would operate seven days a week. It would “offer a unique Milwaukee food and beverage service by taking the city’s strongest food traditions and elevating them in a high-design space,” the Department of City Development said in a news release.
The establishment’s core experience will focus on beer, burgers, and cheese curds. The Soup Brothers will also return as a winter seasonal pop-up and swap in the summer for ice cream service.
“The Vel R. Phillips Plaza is poised to be an exciting addition to the growing and thriving Westown area of downtown Milwaukee,” DCD Commissioner Lafayette Crump said. “The Plaza showcases an extension of downtown’s positive economic and societal developments. I couldn’t be more pleased about bringing the expertise from a food and beverage leader in our region to the space.”
“It's been exciting to watch the downtown renaissance in Milwaukee. I can't wait to be a part of the energy on Wisconsin Avenue,” Davauer said. “As a farm kid who would be lucky for a single trip to Grand Avenue in the '80s, the opportunity to operate at Vel Phillips Plaza will be a full-circle experience. Considering the storied history of Wisconsin Avenue in Milwaukee, it's even more significant to be a part of the streetscape’s future in this stunning building at the Plaza.”
The lease is subject to approval by the Redevelopment Authority and by the Common Council. RACM would fund the buildout of the tenant improvements utilizing previously approved tax incremental financing funds.
Earlier this year, Caravan Hospitality Group was selected as the food and beverage vendor for Vel. R. Phillips Plaza. The group, led by Mike Eitel, operator of Nomad World Pub on Brady Street on Milwaukee’s East Side, planned to open Nomad Coffee Bar in the Vel R. Phillips Plaza building. However those plans were later withdrawn after concerns arose about Eitel’s unpaid lease payments for Barcity Club LLC, which had operated a restaurant at Turner Hall until being evicted due to not making rent payments, according to the board president for Turner Ballroom Preservation Trust Ltd..
Construction on Vel R. Phillips Plaza began last summer and it will open to the public this summer.
[caption id="attachment_568187" align="aligncenter" width="957"]
Vel R. Phillips Plaza rendering[/caption]
