While Milwaukee’s east side continues to wait for the opening of Italian restaurant Nadi Plates in the former Crossroads Collective space, 2238 N. Farwell Ave., a portion of that space may soon find itself home to a different business: an astrology-themed cocktail lounge called Star Bar.
Oh Star Bars, nothing but Star Bars, give me those Star Bars, don’t let them end…
License applications filed with the city on Monday sketch out a small cocktail lounge—described as “astrology-themed”—in the northeast portion of the former Crossroads building, with an address of 2011 E. Ivanhoe Plaza, Suite #1. The roughly 700-square-foot space is bordered by the under-construction Nadi Plates section of the same building to the west, and “hidden” speakeasy Shanghai MKE to the south. To the east is Poppy Bakery, which opened in the former Sip & Purr Cat Cafe in 2025.
Star Bar would derive the bulk of its business from alcohol sales, but it would also include a food menu of frozen pizzas and various snacks. Sidewalk dining/drinking alongside Ivanhoe Plaza would be available June through October 2026. The applications include three types of entertainment: instrumental musicians, disc jockey, and patrons dancing.
Applications list June 16 as the proposed opening date.
Milwaukee developer New Land Enterprises owns the East Side building, and some of its top names are listed as owners and/or agents of Crossroads Collective, doing business as Star Bar: Managing Director Tim Gokhman, HR Director Ann Shuk, and Special Projects Administrator Gina Gruenewald. New Land Hospitality Director Emily Chirillo is listed as a business contact. We’ve reached out to several parties for more information.
The space in question seemed to be previously set aside for a morning/daytime cafe and lunch space from Nadi Plates called Il Grande Bambino. Nadi Plates was first announced for the Crossroads space in April 2025. A fall 2025 opening date never materialized, nor did a spring 2026 date. The space appears to still be under construction.
Crossroads Collective opened on the corner of North and Farwell in late 2018. Longtime Milwaukeeans will remember the space as the former home of Oriental Drugs pharmacy.
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