A craft brewery and tavern planned for Milwaukee's Historic Third Ward is moving closer to a late summer opening.
A craft brewery and tavern planned for Milwaukee's Historic Third Ward is moving closer to a late summer opening.
Copper Turtle Brewery and Taverne will use the former home of restaurant and butcher shop Bavette la Boucherie, 330 E. Menomonee St., as well as adjacent former office space at 153 N. Milwaukee St.
The proposed opening date is Aug. 26, according to a new tavern license application filed with the City Clerk's Office.
But that depends on obtaining city approvals, said Ben Rossi, who operates the business with his wife, Amanda.
"That (Aug. 26 date) would be ideal," he told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
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Along with the tavern license, Rossi has just applied for an occupancy permit with the city Department of Neighborhood Services.
Project plans filed with the department call for a brewery that includes a canning line and office space.
The tavern plans call for sit-down dining space — including space on the Menomonee Street sidewalk.
Copper Turtle will serve pizza as well as Bavarian-style pretzels provided by Milwaukee Pretzel Co., according to the tavern license application.
But the focus will be the beer.
"We're branding ourselves as a drinking establishment," Rossi said.
Copper Turtle would be open seven days a week, from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
The Rossi family lives in Lake County, Illinois, where they have operated a craft brewery that is closing this month. They have long planned a move to Milwaukee.
"Milwaukee is hands-down one of my favorite cities on planet Earth," Rossi said. "It's Brew City."
The Historic Third Ward Architectural Review Board approved the project at its March meeting.
Meanwhile, Bavette la Boucherie opened its new Third Ward home, at 217 N. Broadway, in April.
Tom Daykin can be emailed at tdaykin@jrn.com and followed on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.
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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Brewery planned for Milwaukee's Third Ward moves closer to opening
