414 Day Festival at Deer District in Milwaukee
People gathered as part of 414 Day Festival at Deer District in Milwaukee on Monday, April 14.
- Milwaukee bars and restaurants near Fiserv Forum experience slower business with the Bucks’ early playoff exit and limited arena events in May.
- Some establishments rely on private events, Brewers game shuttles, or unique programming to offset the loss of Bucks-related revenue.
- But some bar owners say no Bucks games is good for their businesses, making parking in the area easier and more affordable.
On April 29 the Milwaukee Bucks lost their fourth game to the Indiana Pacers, ending their 2025 season in the first round of the NBA playoffs.
A few weeks later, some bars and restaurants in Milwaukee’s entertainment district have been hurting, as not only are there no Bucks games, but there are almost no other entertainment bookings at Fiserv Forum. The arena blocks off most of May and early June incase the Bucks make it far in the playoffs.
From the Bucks’ last home game on April 27 to a Lil Baby concert on June 25, the only Fiserv Forum booking listed on the arena’s website is this weekend’s Alan Jackson concert on May 17. The gospel Live, Breathe, Fight tour that was scheduled on May 22 was canceled.
Michael Vitucci, who owns Uncle Buck’s, 1125 N. King Drive, said in the years following the Bucks winning the NBA Championship in 2021, May has been their slowest month.
“It’s very challenging in May if the Bucks get knocked out in the first round. It’s painful,” Vitucci said.
The space includes the Northwoods-themed Uncle Buck’s tavern on the first floor and the space-themed Red Star bar on the second and third floors. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, people could rent out VIP tables in Red Star that overlook the Bucks-owned Beer Garden, which is a popular place to watch Bucks playoff games.
Red Star is more often booked for private rentals rather than the playoff VIP experience.
“In the last two years, the private party thing has ramped up for us, no doubt,” Vitucci said.
Vitucci said private parties were a good way for his bar to stay busy during May, as people seek spots for college graduation parties and rehearsal dinners.
Sometimes people request to book Uncle Buck’s, the space regularly open to the public, before the Bucks’ playoff schedule is finalized. Vitucci said he is happy to book it, though he does warn renters that they will have a higher fee if it does turn out to be the same night as a Bucks playoff home game.
“If they rent the room, they get priority,” Vitucci said. “You have to take care of yourself and make the Bucks secondary.”
Other bars in the Entertainment District report having less business when there are no events at Fiserv Forum.
“It’s noticeably slower, especially during the week, “ said Jake Dehne, who owns RWB Milwaukee, Lucky Clover and 90s2K Cafe, which are all on North King Drive.
RWB Milwaukee, a bar that is popular for dancing and only open on weekends, is also generally slower in May. Dehne said that isn’t so much due to Fiserv Forum’s schedule as college students preparing for finals, graduating or heading home for the summer.
Still, he was looking forward to a busy Saturday as he prepared for the Alan Jackson concert.
“That’s going to be a sold-out, great concert,” he said. “I hope they can get some more things on the book for June.”
Peter Marshall, who owns Copper on King, also was looking forward to the Alan Jackson show, plus he had good business for a Wednesday when Alice Cooper performed at the Miller High Life Theatre on May 14.
“There are other things things going on like hockey at the Panther Arena, and shows at the High Life Theatre and Turner Hall. You don’t just have to depend on Fiserv Forum,” he said.
But business is best when there is an event at Fiserv Forum. When the arena is booked, Marshall said he doesn’t have to do any extra promotion to bring people in.
With an empty Fiserv Forum, he is relying on the bar’s unique Formula 1 viewing parties that include three race simulators that patrons can experience on F1 Sundays.
“It’s awesome. The crowds for that have been great,” Marshall said. “We’re leaning heavily into our weekly events like Quizmaster Trivia and our patio business.”
Bars like the Milwaukee Brat House and The New Fashioned have created summer-specific programming to ramp up business in May.
The Brat House has built a reputation as a popular spot to grab a shuttle to a Brewers game, along with shuttles to concerts at American Family Field and Alpine Valley, which makes the bar as busy as Fiserv Forum event days.
“We’ve built our shuttle business over years and years and years. Events at Fiserv is a big part of our business, but the shuttle service is a staple for our business,” said owner Scott Schaffer.
Marla Poytinger, who owns The New Fashioned, said in an email that a dark Fiserv Forum means they depend on outdoor Deer District programming to draw business.
“We’re leaning into our creativity in order to drive our own traffic,” Poytinger said in the email. “Our new Painting on the Plaza series kicks off June 6 and brings the classic Splash Studio experience to the sunny Deer District plaza on Fridays and Saturdays this summer.”
Elsewhere in the Entertainment District, bars like Old German Beer Hall and S’Lush Daiquiri Lounge do the same or even better business with the Bucks out early, according to their owners.
“Business has been great with the Bucks being out of the playoffs. It frees up an incredible amount of parking and frees up money you can spend at bars and restaurants,” said Hans Weissgerber, owner of Old German Beer Hall.
Weissgerber and Tiana Razaa, who owns S’Lush, both said that Bucks games and other Fiserv Forum events aren’t the biggest draw for their spaces, and they think their businesses are more often hurt on Fiserv Forum event days due to surge parking.
“The hardest part about the area is the parking,” Razaa said. “It effects my business in a major way, and it’s hard on the employees.”
Razaa’s original S’Lush location is in Kenosha where she and some employees live.
Both Razaa and Weissgerber said they are destination spaces. S’Lush is popular for birthday and bachelorette parties, and Old German Beer Hall, which pays homage to Milwaukee’s German heritage through food, beer and live music, is popular with tourists and locals who enjoy German traditions.
“People come to the Beer Hall to the come to the Beer Hall,” Weissburger said. “I just want to say, people should come downtown and don’t worry about coming in for an event. We’ve got a great city, and you don’t need a reason to come downtown and enjoy it.”
