Nite Owl is a spring and summertime staple that’s thrived on Milwaukee’s South Side since 1948. The iconic drive-in has been an important and widely-loved part of the city’s warm weather months for generations. Even as the COVID-19 crisis hit Wisconsin this spring (and hasn’t slowed since), the inimitable burger joint and ice cream parlor still found a way to safely open for its 73rd season. And though both spring and summer are long gone, Nite Owl was still cooking deep into fall.
However, with winter looming on the horizon, the Milwaukee mainstay has once again decided to say goodbye…at least until next spring. According a message on the drive-in’s answering machine, Nite Owl quietly closed for the rest of 2020 last week.
“Thank you for 73 wonderful years,” the message says. “We’ll now clean, paint, and get ready for the spring. We’ll see you all in the spring of 2021.”
