SportClub may re-open under new ownership as early as June.
The sports bar and grill, located at 750 N. Jefferson St., abruptly closed in January, along with Barrel Burrito and Experts Only, two eateries that shared a kitchen at 782 N. Jefferson St. All three restaurants were owned by Caravan Hospitality Group, led by CEO Mike Eitel.
The second license application to be submitted for the site was approved for recommendation by the City of Milwaukee Licenses Committee May 19. The application was submitted by business partners Henry Delcid Meza, a former manager at SportClub, and two partners from Wild Planet Hospitality Group: Drew Deuster and JJ Kovacovich.
The three plan to retain the same feel of the downtown sports bar, which had been open for about eight years.
“We’re not making much changes. There’ll probably be a few menu tweaks and possibly some different weekly specials … but in terms of layout and decor and even menu and things like that, everything else is going to pretty much remain the same,” Deuster said.
For next steps, the license application will move to the full Common Council for final approval before SportClub can open. Deuster said they hope to get the doors re-opened in June.
Delcid Meza initially applied in January to re-open two new restaurants: Sports-Club, at the former SportClub, and Burrito Donkey, at the former site of Barrel Burrito and Experts Only. He applied with two different partners, Hassan Khalid and Farhan Arshad, from Homewood Hospitality Group. However, the partners withdrew their applications without explanation in March.
Delcid Meza then refiled a new application in April with Wild Planet Hospitality Group, solely focusing efforts on SportClub.
Deuster said he and Kovacovich got to know Delcid Meza when he worked at Nomad World Pub, which Wild Planet Hospitality Group took over after purchasing majority ownership from Eitel in 2024. They brought Delcid Meza on as head chef and director of hospitality at Wild Planet, Deuster said.
When SportClub closed, landlords approached Meza, who had been managing the restaurant for four years, to gauge his interest in re-opening as an owner, Deuster said. Ultimately, the partnership with Wild Planet was a fit.
In addition to Nomad, Wild Planet Hospitality Group also operates McGillycuddy’s and Red Rock Saloon.
“We’re excited to be in Cathedral Square. We’ve never operated anything over there, it adds a slightly elevated concept to our portfolio,” Deuster said.
Contact Kelli Arseneau at (920) 213-3721 or karseneau@gannett.com. Follow her on X at @ArseneauKelli.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Closed Cathedral Square sports bar could reopen soon under new ownerhsip
Reporting by Kelli Arseneau, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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