After 9 years, Engine Company No. 3 will serve its last brunch on Dec. 31

Engine Company No. 3, 217 W. National Ave., the popular Walker’s Point lunch-and-brunch spot known for its globally inspired menu and convivial space inside a former fire department building, is ending its restaurant service at the end of this year.

The restaurant announced the closure on social media on Dec. 8 on behalf of owners Peter and Sonia Sandroni. In the same post, the Sandronis announced that beginning Jan. 1, Engine Company No. 3 will live on as an event-only space used for special occasions, such as private parties, wine dinners and more.

“After nine great years and an amazing journey, we are sad to say goodbye to our brunch service at Engine Company No. 3, but happy to say hello to an event-only space,” they wrote in the announcement. “We have decided that it is time for us to take a step back and spend more time as a family as we continue our own path.”

When the restaurant opened in 2014, Journal Sentinel dining critic Carol Deptolla awarded it three stars, noting the buzzy new eatery had earned the popularity it had quickly gained. It’s been a bustling presence in the Milwaukee dining scene since.

Last year, Journal Sentinel readers named Engine Company No. 3 one of the best brunch spots in Milwaukee, and in 2016, President Barack Obama even paid it a visit for lunch while in Milwaukee.

Reservations are currently being accepted for its final brunch service on Dec. 31. Customers can redeem any outstanding gift cards through then and, after that date, gift cards can be redeemed for any of the space’s special events or at La Merenda, Engine Company No. 3’s sister restaurant at 125 E. National Ave.

The Sandroni family encourages customers to support the restaurant in its final weeks of business.

“Every life is a story,” they wrote. “Thank you for being part of our story.”

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Popular Engine Company No. 3 to close Dec. 31