Back in September 2025, a six-person ownership group filed license applications with the City of Milwaukee to open a new sports bar, Diaspora Sports Bar and Lounge, in the former Company Brewing space, 735 E. Center St. Those plans are still in the works, though on Tuesday they hit a slight snag with the Common Council’s Licenses Committee.
As explained by one of the owners, Roberthenry Davis, Diaspora will be a straightforward sports bar. “The intent is to be what we consider a legitimate sports bar, meaning that sports will be on pretty much the entire day, and you will be able to hear the sports that are playing,” Davis said at Tuesday’s meeting.
Davis described himself as a 10-year entrepreneur who renovates and sells properties through one business, and a general contractor who renovates commercial properties through another business.
Another owner present at Tuesday’s meeting, Brian Bradford, described himself as a 30-year sales veteran who plans to use Diaspora as a demonstration space “to bring other corporations into the environment” in order to “see what else is going on in this particular area, the Riverwest area, so they may want to reinvest in it.”
Other owners in the Diaspora group were described as an administrator with Milwaukee Public Schools, a retired U.S. Army veteran “due to be coming back from Afghanistan by the end of the month,” a retired Milwaukee Police officer, and a current Milwaukee Police officer.
It was that last job description that caused the snag.
“As they mentioned, there is an active MPD employee listed as a partner for this application,” said Sgt. Guadalupe Velasquez at Tuesday’s meeting. “We sought out an opinion from the city attorney’s office on whether or not that is allowed. At this time, we have not received that opinion, so I don’t know if it’s something that we would want to be held or what the process in this case would be. MPD would not necessarily be in support until we review the opinion from the city attorney’s office.”
Sgt. Velasquez works for Milwaukee Police Department’s License Investigation Unit. A member of the unit sits in on all Licenses Committee meetings to provide possible criminal records related to applicants, along with other testimony.
Davis and Bradford asked if the owner in question could be immediately removed from the application. “He’s not really someone who’s going to be doing the day-to-day. Trust me, he’s not done much day-to-day,” they said.
The Committee explained that applications without the owner in question would need to be re-filed, but that things could “possibly get sorted out” before the next meeting of the full Common Council on January 20.
“This, frankly, slipped through the cracks. This should never have been scheduled,” said Assistant City Attorney Travis Gresham. “MPD didn’t authorize this to proceed, so it should not have been scheduled.”
Diaspora would also feature live music and cigar sales. The latter feature prompted a question from the Committee about where and when cigars would be smoked. Davis and Bradford explained that cigar smoking would take place in the space’s outdoor patio.
“The outdoor space that’s next door to residential properties and across the street from homes?” asked Alderman Peter Burgelis. Davis and Bradford said yes, and noted that all outdoor activity would be moved inside at 10 p.m.
A final item that came up at Tuesday’s meeting was the recent experience of another Diaspora owner, Marvin Bailey. Bailey is the co-owner of Flame 13 restaurant and lounge, 2230 N. King Dr. In September 2025, the Licenses Committee shut down Flame 13 for a full year, citing a mass brawl that occurred at the business the previous July.
What had Bailey learned from the experience, the Committee asked.
“First of all, it’s about having the right partnership. I’ve known these gentlemen for 30-plus years, my frat brothers. It’s about having the right men in the right place that are going to hold each other accountable,” Bailey said. “Moving forward, I just want to have a great place for adults to come, and have a great time with a great group of men whom I have known just about most of my life.”
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