Way back in 2003, long before Bay View was a bastion of bars and restaurants with excellent beer selections and hundreds of liquor options on hand, Palm Tavern opened. In the years that followed, the small neighborhood bar established itself as one of Milwaukee’s first and finest craft beer bars and pushed its incomparable arsenal of whiskey and bourbon varieties past the 450 mark. Draft Magazine once called Palm Tavern “one of America’s best beer bars.”
The neighborhood might be gradually catching up to the trailblazing tavern, but you simply can’t buy the type of reputation Palm has built over the last 15 years. At least you couldn’t until now. Milwaukee Record has learned that Palm Tavern is for sale.
Apparently, the bar has been on the market since last fall. Owner Bruno Johnson is selling the 2989 S. Kinnickinnic Ave. property and the upper unit (2987 S. Kinnickinnic Ave.) for $350,000. A Shorewest realtor and a source familiar with the bar confirmed the sale price includes Palm Tavern. That price is the going rate for some homes in Palm’s vicinity these days, so it seems like a steal for one of the city’s most iconic beer bars. We’ll keep you updated on the status of Palm Tavern as the news develops.
