Every Friday, Off The Record looks to other Milwaukee publications (and beyond) for bits of news we missed throughout the week.
• Hey, Olive Garden, it’s me, Milwaukee, again.
In 2010, I visited one of your locations. The one on Brown Deer Road. It was for a bachelor party. What kind of bachelor parties eat at Olive Garden? The kind of bachelor parties I get invited to, I guess.
Anyway, fully [sic] realize that large developments take years to plan and implement, but it’s now time, Olive Garden. Let’s build in Downtown Milwaukee.
As Jeff Sherman from OnMilwaukee recently shared in a piece titled “It’s time for Target in Downtown Milwaukee,” he’d like to see one of Target’s “small-format” stores open in Downtown Milwaukee. How badly does Jeff Sherman from OnMilwaukee want to see one of Target’s “small-format” stores open in Downtown Milwaukee? Dude wrote about it in 2010, too.
Here he was this week:
Hey, Target, it’s me, Milwaukee, again.
In 2010, I wrote this. And, fully [sic] realize that large developments take years to plan and implement.
So, it’s now time, Target. Let’s build in Downtown Milwaukee.
Actually, a Downtown Milwaukee Target would be pretty swell. But this isn’t about Target. This is about Olive Garden. And I think Milwaukee also needs one. Now.
Sure, I can find terrific food literally anywhere in Milwaukee. Throw a stone in Bay View and you’ll hit an incredible local restaurant. Have you eaten at Nessun Dorma in Riverwest lately? Because that place still kills it. Hell, even Downtown has the Milwaukee Public Market. But Olive Garden runs are still needed and simply are not convenient if you live in the North Shore all the way south to the Third Ward. That Olive Garden on Brown Deer Road is the nearest Olive Garden (unless I’m missing one?) and it seems a bit far away if you live in greater Downtown. Plus, those breadsticks.
Food is changing is [sic] so many ways, and one way for Olive Garden to be more local is to build smaller. Milwaukee’s primed to help with our increased Downtown residential and workforce population. They need you, Olive Garden, and your Grilled Chicken Parmigiana.
So, Olive Garden, let’s loop you into Milwaukee’s Downtown rebirth. Kohl’s isn’t coming Downtown. Target probably won’t, either. You should.
Happy to help however I can, so follow this link to learn more.
Onward. When you’re here, you’re family. [OnMilwaukee]
• Everyone and their mother was invited to visit the new Ikea in Oak Creak, which opens May 16. [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, TMJ4, Milwaukee Business Journal, FOX6, OnMilwaukee, BizTimes]
• Hide your cats and make some out-of-city plans: the Milwaukee Air & Water Show will return July 21 and 22. [Milwaukee Business Journal]
• Stand Eat Drink Hospitality has launched a delivery-only pop-up thing called Cluck N’ Que. It’s only available through UberEats. [OnMilwaukee]
• The developers of the new Milwaukee County Transit System app think it’s the best transit app out there. They are absolutely correct. [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]
• Milwaukee Brewers chairman and principal owner Mark Attanasio wants attendance to hit 2.7 million this season. [Milwaukee Business Journal]
• Milwaukee alt-rock outfit Rocket Cat released a new single, “Sanctuary.” [Soundcloud]
• The city’s Historic Preservation Commission granted Bay View’s White House tavern, 2900 S. Kinnickinnic Ave., a 180-day historic designation. A permanent designation for the currently closed bar may follow. [Urban Milwaukee]
• Wait: there’s another Aloha Poke Co. opening in Milwaukee? This one in the Third Ward? In addition to the one—no, the two—poke places on the East Side? And that one on the East Side that’s directly across the street from yet another poke place? [Milwaukee Business Journal]
• Grassroots Salad Company is opening in Downtown Milwaukee (in the Chase Tower, to be exact) April 30. [Milwaukee Business Journal]
• Sculpture Milwaukee—which was wonderful in 2017—is returning in 2018. [WISN]
• Bounce Milwaukee rules! [Shepherd Express]
• Have a great weekend, Milwaukee!