Cocktail lounge At Random adding patio for Ice Cream Social
Milwaukee’s midcentury time capsule ice cream drink bar At Random is adding an outdoor patio that it’s calling Ice Cream Social.
The bar at 2501 S. Delaware Ave. in the city’s Bay View neighborhood is adding a patio to the south side of the building for outdoor seating that will resemble a trip to a summertime resort in the 1940s and ‘50s, said owner John Dye.
“Picture Frank Sinatra next to a swimming pool,” Dye said.
Ice Cream Social behind At Random is under construction and the patio should open in the next couple of weeks, Dye said.
Ice Cream Social will have At Random favorite ice cream drinks like a grasshopper, seasonal ice cream drinks, float-based alcoholic drinks and summer cocktails. The menu will have around 25 drinks, Dye said.
Many bars and restaurants are adding outdoor seating during the coronavirus pandemic. Eating or drinking outside with tables spaced at least 6 feet apart is safer than indoor at reducing the spread of COVID-19. The fenced-in patio at Ice Cream Social will start with nine physically-distanced tables.
Ice Cream Social plans to be open 4 to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday.
Dye restored the midcentury bar and reopened the Milwaukee classic in 2018.
At Random is open for dine-in by reservation. The indoor bar will close when the patio opens, Dye said. He filed applications with the city to create Ice Cream Social in May.
Dye also owns Bryant’s Cocktail Lounge on the south side and Jazz Estate on the east side. The bars have sold to-go cocktail kits during the pandemic.