See renderings of new restaurant Il Ponte planned for Northwestern Mutual’s North Building

Locally acclaimed chef Adam Siegel and wife Daria Aitken-Siegel of Lupi & Iris revealed the name and renderings of the restaurant that they plan to open on the ground floor of Northwestern Mutual’s North Building, which is currently undergoing a $500 million rebuild.

Additional details were shared at a meeting on Friday after initial plans for the restaurant were announced on Monday.

Il Ponte, which means “bridge” in Italian, aims to connect people, cultures and flavors through its more approachable and casual menu and atmosphere, according to remarks from Siegel and Aitken-Siegel at Friday’s meeting.

Milwaukee always has more room for casual fine dining, Siegel said.

“From the chairs you sit in and the servers being in uniforms, to the style of food and the points of service, that’s what creates casual fine dining,” he added.

The menu will feature a variety of classic Italian dishes like red sauce over spaghetti and meatballs, lunch sandwiches and homemade pasta, and several unique dishes that “many people in Milwaukee may not have seen before,” Siegel said.

Il Ponte’s 7,000-square-foot space on East Mason Street, less than a block east of Lupi & Iris, will have seating for 155 people and a large central bar to enhance the restaurant’s casual atmosphere. Similar to Lupi & Iris, il Ponte will feature designated spaces for private dining and events.

Il Ponte will hire roughly 60 employees to operate the restaurant, several of which will come from Lupi & Iris’ 90-person staff. Between 10% and 20% of Lupi & Iris’ employees will work at both restaurants.

The duo has partnered with Milwaukee-based EUA (Eppstein Uhen Architects) and Northwestern Mutual for the project.

Il Ponte is slated to open in late 2026, shortly before Northwestern Mutual is expecting to complete the rebuild of its North Building.

Construction work on NM’s North Building began in November of 2023. The Milwaukee-based financial services company is overhauling the 18-story building at 818 E. Mason St. into a smaller version of its neighboring 32-story Tower and Commons. The project is expected to wrap up by early 2027 and will allow the company to move about 2,000 workers to downtown Milwaukee from its campus in Franklin.