Good City Brewing scores lease with Milwaukee Bucks
Taproom on new entertainment block to feature food and brews
Good City Brewery will open a downtown taproom at a prime location in the entertainment block outside the new Milwaukee Bucks arena, the Bucks and brewery announced Thursday.
Fast-growing Good City is the first tenant announced by the Bucks development arm for one of the two buildings now under construction just east of the $524 million arena. Good City will be located in one half of a two level building along E. Juneau Ave.
Built with $250 million in taxpayer support, the arena opens in late summer. Good City and other businesses coming to the outside buildings will open in early spring, according to the Bucks and brewery owners.
The 11,000-square-foot taproom will include food, Good City brews and products from other Wisconsin craft breweries. A second tenant is being sought for the south half of the building.
“We wanted to have something that’s uniquely Wisconsin and unique to Wisconsin and Good City Brewing fits all of those,” said Bucks Senior Vice President Alex Lasry. “Their beer is great, and their food is really good.”
The announcement is an important milestone for the Bucks who have been busy preparing the buildings and entertainment block but faced delays in naming tenants. The Bucks have indicated that additional tenants will be unveiled soon.
Big step for young brewery
The seven-year lease with the Bucks marks a remarkable step for Good City, one of many new craft breweries that have opened in the Milwaukee area in the past several years.
Good City opened in the old Crank Daddy bike shop space at 2108 N. Farwell Ave. in 2016. The business has expanded several times, including the addition of an event space, rooftop bar and a growing number of retailers carrying Good City six packs.
Earlier this week workers were moving around pallets bearing thousands of new beer cans, part of ongoing efforts to boost retail sales, said Dan Katt, one of Good City’s co-founders. Good City was recently among the breweries honored at the World Beer Cup competition for craft brewers.
The downtown location will more than double the size of the Good City operation with room for about 350 people and 150 in a special event space on the second level. That compares with seating for about 200 and an event space for 150 on Farwell Ave., Katt said.
“I think this is finally what people envisioned for that part of downtown when the Park East (freeway) came down,” said Katt, who has a background in real estate development.
Katt said he and his co-owners David Dupee and Andy Jones are Milwaukee residents who are passionate in their support of the city.
“That’s the whole reason that we started this business,” Katt said. “We want to contribute to the resurgence of Milwaukee.”
The partners realize the opportunity — and risks — that come with the highprofile expansion and partnership with the Bucks.
“We look at it as continuing to build the brand — what we’re trying to accomplish here in Milwaukee and as people,” he said. “We’ve put down roots here, and we are living our lives as though we’ve been given a key to the city.
“It’s only about two miles from us (on the east side) but it’s a totally different world.”
Katt said the lease “is huge for us,” in the very competitive local craft brewing business.
“It’s not like we won the lottery. We
still have to pay rent,” he said with a laugh.
Prime location
The building fronts the north end of the spacious plaza outside the arena’s main entrance. The Bucks promise a busy schedule of concerts and other events for the plaza, far beyond the basketball games and concerts at the arena.
“I think it’s going to be one of the premier pre-game, post-game and lunch places in the city,” Lasry said.
The large second floor space, including a porch, will be attractive for meetings, small concerts and VIP seating for events in the plaza, he said.
Good City’s Bucks location will include two brewing components. Large wooden barrels called foeders will produce sour beers, a craft brew segment that’s exploding in popularity. There will also be a “pilot brewing system that will produce small batch and experimental offerings,” the Bucks said.
Lasry said the Bucks put a lot of thought into finding a tenant that would not duplicate the many bars and restaurants near the new arena on Old World 3rd St. A walkway will connect 3rd St. to the entertainment block and arena.
Katt said negotiations with the Bucks included an unexpected meeting with team owner Michael Fascitelli, who has handled real estate development parts of the arena project.
Fascitelli and Bucks President Peter Feigin dropped in at Good City on a busy Saturday night.
“We sat here by the fire and talked about everything,” Katt said.
“They were great and they loved what we have here,” he said. “They couldn’t believe that we had only one location.”