The Licenses Committee rejected proposals for a new bar at the ex-Angelo’s Piano Lounge site following over a year of planning.
The committee rejected Donnie’s Bar application for a liquor license after several neighboring residents testified against the establishment of the new tavern. One reason was that the venue lacks a commercial kitchen hood necessary for serving food.
Tasha Sorenson, who leads the neighborhood organization called the Brady Street Area Association, mentioned that their group declined to support any application for a tavern license at a location without a proper commercial exhaust system. She additionally pointed out that Donnie’s Bar lacked detailed operational strategies and had an inadequate safety plan in place.
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Donald Dries, the proprietor of the bar, stated that requiring a commercial hood for his under-800-square-foot establishment—a venue that had been operating as a bar for three decades—was an absurd demand.
“I’ve got only 80 square feet for setting up a kitchen, which seems impractical to me. I’m definitely not keen on putting one in there,” Dries stated to the Journal Sentinel. “Anyone who tries would face similar challenges. Unless we turn it into some sort of bar, I can’t think of another option—maybe something like a Subway.”
Others gave testimony indicating that Dries didn’t have a solid history when it came to managing enterprises. Before his current venture, he had launched Baccara and Café Terraza in the space formerly occupied by Black Rose and Monster Pizza at 2856 N. Oakland Ave.
closed after six months
. Dries
previously informed the Journal Sentinel
He wished to depart from that place since he was unwilling to handle noise complaints coming from his upstairs neighbors.
Al Musa, owner of both the Casablanca restaurant and a warehouse rented out to Dries for his painting enterprise, stated at the Licenses Committee gathering that Dries was an uncooperative tenant with unpaid invoices. In response, Dries mentioned that he had been awaiting Musa’s intervention to repair the structure’s leaking roof.
The rejected permit for the old Angelo’s location at 1686 N. Van Buren Street dealt a significant setback to Dries, who has been renting the shuttered premises for the past 16 months.
The hearing for Donnie’s Bar regarding the liquor license has been postponed.
Following the passing of ex-Alderman Jonathan Brostoff, who represented the region.
A year and a half later, I simply don’t have any interest left in it,” Dries stated. “The prospect of recovering my funds seems distant, yet my initial motives were good. All I ever wished was to preserve the historic tavern.
Milwaukee musician Angelo Mortellaro
Angelo’s Piano Lounge was opened in the late 1980s as a venue for jazz performers to showcase their talents.
Dries mentioned that he regretted not knowing about the Brady Street Area Association’s position on bars before agreeing to the lease and renovating the establishment.
“The entire process is strange since you outline your business plans for the city and the aldermen, yet there’s no mention of BSAA prerequisites anywhere on the forms. It ought to be explicitly stated upfront that their approval must be obtained,” Dries commented.
The Licenses Committee finally rejected the proposal due to objections from local residents; however, some committee members stated that the demand for hoods was unjustifiable.
“I personally don’t fully support the BSAA’s rule that a hood must be present unless food service is planned; however, considering all aspects, the objections raised by local residents hold significant weight with me, leading me to advocate against approving this application,” stated Alderman Alex Brower, representing the district, at the committee meeting.
Councilor JoCasta Zamarippa, who leads the committee, concurred that a hood is a significant investment. However, she found the objections from nearby residents strong enough to warrant refusal.
The Liquor License was rejected without objection by the Licenses Committee.
Sorenson did not reply to requests for comments.
The article initially appeared in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
After facing resistance from nearby residents against establishments serving alcohol without food service, Angelo’s Piano Lounge will stay unoccupied.
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