A new taproom specializing in self-serve beer and wine could be coming to Whitefish Bay this spring

Alex Groth, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
·2 min read
Whitefish Bay officials on Aug. 15 unanimously approved a conditional-use permit for a new taproom owned by Ray and Emily Riordan.
Whitefish Bay officials on Aug. 15 unanimously approved a conditional-use permit for a new taproom owned by Ray and Emily Riordan.

A new taproom specializing in self-serve beer and wine could be coming to Whitefish Bay in spring.

Whitefish Bay officials unanimously approved the taproom's conditional-use permit on Monday. The space at t 151 E. Silver Spring Drive is currently vacant and was formerly occupied by Erik's Bikes. Owners Ray and Emily Riordan haven't picked an official name for the taproom yet.

“We are ecstatic with the support from the Whitefish Bay community. With this step complete, we are eager to continue this journey to provide a spot for the community to come together," said Ray Riordan.

"We've always wanted to combine our love for hosting and building community," said Emily. The couple lives nearby and often walks past the former Erik's Bikes and saw the potential for opening a taproom.

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The business will include a "help yourself" beer and wine taproom with self-pouring stations, along with appetizers. Non-alchoholic options like root beer will also be available. The taproom will feature both indoor and outdoor seating.

Proposed hours of operation are noon to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, noon to midnight Friday, 11 a.m. to midnight Saturday and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday.

The owners anticipate the business will employ about 15 to 20 employees with five to eight employees on site at a given time, according to the proposal.

Several people spoke at the Aug. 15 meeting in support of the new business.

"I've been a resident here for a little while, and I think this is the type of business that residents have been clamoring for, including myself and my neighbors," said Brian DeNeve.

"Hats off to the Riordan family for this entrepreneurial step opening a business, and I'm really looking forward to seeing how it progresses," he added.

Contact Alex Groth at agroth@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter at @grothalexandria. 

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: A new taproom might be coming to Whitefish Bay at former Erik's Bikes