Welcome to Food/Drink Week at Milwaukee Record, brought to you by Woodman’s Markets. From May 11 through May 18, belly up and enjoy adventurous, odd, and elaborate coverage of all things edible and drinkable in Milwaukee and beyond.
Way back in 2016, we rounded up some Milwaukee business locations we deemed to be “cursed.” After publishing the list, some of the buildings listed wound up finding stability over the more than 10 years since the article was written. Others saw the so-called curse persist. Then we listed seven more “cursed” properties in 2023. Whether a byproduct of bad luck, a worldwide pandemic, food or drinks that didn’t resonate with customers for whatever reason, economic ups and downs, or simply the very location itself, some high-profile locales just don’t translate to success or longevity for its tenants.
With another Food/Drink Week upon us, we got to thinking about a few more business locations in Milwaukee that, sadly, fit this unsavory description. We can’t stress this enough: by acknowledging the high turnover rates in these buildings, we’re not celebrating or making light of a business’ closure. We’re simply drawing attention to the trend and, if anything, encouraging you to support the current occupant so the curse might stop here. With that being said, here are eight more “cursed” Milwaukee business locations.
538 W. National Ave.
In January of last year, Walker’s Point watering hole and live music venue Promises closed. It ruled and we miss it. Before that bar’s approximately 2.5-year stint, 538 W. National Ave. was also briefly home to the Walker’s Point Music Hall and Gibralter MKE venues, as well as an endeavor called Felipe’s Place, which opened and subsequently closed in rapid succession. The property is currently for sale, so hopefully someone brings something great to the high-traffic intersection of 6th and National.
1103 N. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr.
These days. 1103 N. Doctor Martin Luther King Drive is home to a nostalgia-laden bar concept called 90s2K Cafe. On the subject of glorifying the past, the property was previously home to an astounding number of other short-lived concepts in recent years, including the likes of The Pub Club, Suite, Howl At The Moon, Have A Nice Day Cafe, and more.
1110 N. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr.
Directly across the street from the current 90s2K Cafe is another building that has seen a great deal of changeover much of the 21st century. The property at 1110 N. MLK Dr. can technically house three different bar or restaurant concepts at once, but it’s presently devoid of any active tenants. Prior to Third Street Tavern and S’Lush Daiquiri Lounge closing the past few years, the property somewhat recently housed businesses like 1983 Arcade Bar, Ale Asylum Riverhouse, Lucille’s Live, Molly Cool’s Seafood, Matador Taco + Tequila, and like 10 other things. GL Sports Eatery has filed an application for an Alcohol Beverage License, so hopefully they bring some consistency to the building soon.
1932 E. Kenilworth Pl.
Following a mostly fruitful 11-year run on the periphery of North Avenue, Yield called it quits in 2016. In the decade since that East Side institution closed, the ground level property at 1932 E. Kenilworth briefly masqueraded as the site of Yokohama, then became Merge before closing in the summer of 2024. It’s currently empty.
2238 N. Farwell Ave.
If and when Nadi Plates opens in the high-profile and historic restaurant space at the corner of Farwell and North avenues (and Ivanhoe Pl.), the Italian eatery will be the latest in a fairly long line of restaurants who’ve tried their hand in the building. Sure, Crossroads Collective brought some consistency to the space between late 2018 and its closure last May. However, the road between that “food hall” and the beloved Oriental Drugs—which closed in 1995—is lined with places who had far less longevity in the property, including Twisted Fork, Replay Sports Bar, and Rosati’s Pizza Sports Pub. Here’s hoping Nadi Plates opens its brick and mortar restaurant soon and sticks around for a long time!
2315 N. Murray Ave.
For more than 30 years, 2315 N. Murry Ave. was the picture of commercial consistency as the longtime home of East Side institution Palermo Villa. After the Villa’s closure in July 2012, the next restaurant residents weren’t able to replicate the longevity it enjoyed on Murray Ave. Over the last 13-plus years since it closed, the space has hosted other Italian iterations, including Divino Wine And Dine, Tavolino, 2025 casualty L’Incontro, and probably one or two other places we’re forgetting. Today, it’s the future site of Tallow 52, a forthcoming concept from Jack Holt (who owns the neighboring Smokin’ Jack’s BBQ) that’s being described as “a smoked meat cantina focused on craft cocktails, tequila, whiskey, smoked meats, and nightlife energy.”
3001 S. Kinnickinnic Ave.
Since last November, Axolotl Café has been serving up accessible and acclaimed breakfast and lunch fare in the restaurant space at the high-visibility corner of Rusk and Kinnickinnic avenues, giving some much-needed consistency and quality to a property that has lacked in both those areas in recent years. Where do we start with this one? Well, the building was home to Pastiche Bistro from 2010 until their relocation to a larger property downtown in 2015. Belli’s Bistro eventually followed, before also making the move to a larger and higher profile spot (the original Honeypie location) in early 2021 after three years in the building. Blackwood Brothers came in between mid-2021 and late 2024, which proceeded to set up an erratic next two years.
Before finally giving way to Axolotl, the property briefly operated as a Peruvian joint called Cholo Power, a brief controversy-prompted pivot to Inka Peru Cuisine, and a so-called “digital food hall” called Crave Kitchens that we’re honestly not sure ever actually opened before being abandoned. On a more positive note, Axolotl is good and we truly think it has staying power!
3040 S. Delaware Ave.
In August 2013, Hector’s—a Mexican restaurant that still has a location in Wauwatosa—closed its Bay View location following a run of nearly seven full years on Delaware Ave. The following spring, a new bar and restaurant concept called R&D Pub briefly gave it a go in the property before closing in 2016. It was a prep kitchen for a bit after that. Then Little Cancun—a Mexican restaurant that still has a location in Franklin—took a turn in spring of 2018, remaining there until October 2024 (and rebranding as “Little Cancun Sports” in 2022). Last year, a juice bar called The Canteen opened and closed within the year, making way for the current resident, a vegan bakery called hoochMKE. Hopefully things settle down at 3040 S. Delaware for a bit. Based on the quality of hoochMKE (where we recently had one of the best cookies we can remember), we think they could absolutely stay in the space for the long haul.
Support local bars and restaurants whenever and however you can. Let’s end some of these “curses,” Milwaukee!
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