Growlers East Tosa is inviting patrons to “waddle in and see what’s next” at the pub as it’s been rebranded The Waddle Inn.
The restaurant at 6715 W. North Ave. in Wauwatosa said the rebranding was part of an effort to “push forward with a fresh identity that better fits who” the pub is today, according to an Oct. 17 post on the business’ social media accounts. The new logo for the restaurant features a duck in place of the beer growler from the old Growlers’ logo.
The post said the owners, team and food at the bar and restaurant will stay the same. But the pub does plan to add new decor, retro arcade games like Pac-Man and pinball, and a new, cozy atmosphere, according to Lexi Thomsen, The Waddle Inn’s assistant manager.
“We just kind of want to push more into something newer, exciting, that highlights our food quality and new atmosphere,” Thomsen said in a phone interview.
Thomsen said “Waddle Inn” is a punny play on the phrase “waddle in.”
Co-owners Jason Growel, Mario Balistreri and Pietro Balistreri opened Growlers in 2024, finally breathing life back into the building that used to house the Red Dot bar. A fire forced Red Dot to close in 2018, and the bar’s management promised it would eventually reopen. It never reopened and was listed for sale in 2021.
“The local neighborhood is just amazing for continuing to support us throughout these random changes that keep happening here,” Thomsen said.
The Waddle Inn is open from 3:30 p.m. to bar close Monday to Thursday and 11 a.m. to bar close Saturday and Sunday. The kitchen is open until 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 8 p.m. Sunday. For more information, see growlerstosa.com.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Growlers East Tosa rebrands to The Waddle Inn to ‘push forward with a fresh identity’
Reporting by Angelika Ytuarte, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
