Good morning,
A couple of newsletters ago, I shared about some local bars and restaurants that got hit hard by the historic floods that ravaged many parts of the Milwaukee area last month.
I’m happy to report that some of those businesses are up and running again (The Newport bar in Bay View and the downtown location of Ian’s Pizza bounced back within a week or so, thankfully).
Other businesses haven’t fared so well. Just down the street from The Newport, The Mothership bar (and its food truck, Dooby Dogs) is still closed and cleaning up from water damage and a complete loss of its coolers, sound system, computers, kegs, merchandise and all of the product stored in its basement.
Now, there are a couple of ways you can help them recover.
Last week, Mothership bartender Jenneca Younger launched a GoFundMe to support the bar.
“That night, during what seemed like a regular Saturday service, the staff witnessed something that nightmares are made of, the rain started and didn’t stop,” Younger said in the GoFundMe post. “Everything about this experience has been horrifying and heartbreaking.”
The bar has met about 80% of its $60,000 goal, but Younger said she’s been overwhelmed by pricing out just how much the losses have been.
In addition to the GoFundMe, a group of local bars are banding together to support the Mothership with a 50/50 raffle drawing.
Visit Bay View bars Club Garibaldi, The Newport, Blackbird or St. Francis bar Creed’s Foggy Dew through Sept. 15 to purchase tickets for the 50/50 drawing. At 7 p.m. on Sept. 15, the winner of the raffle will be drawn at The Newport, receiving half the pot, with the other half going to the Mothership. See the bartender at any of the bars to purchase tickets.
In Wauwatosa, Cafe Hollander remains closed after its lower-level kitchen was flooded with four feet of water from the adjacent Menomonee River.
But there’s good news: The restaurant plans to be fully operational by the end of September, and guests will have a chance to support the business this weekend during TosaFest, with limited bar and patio hours on weekends after the festival.
Have you heard of any other efforts to support local bars and restaurants affected by the floods? Send them my way at rseis@gannett.com.
That’s all for now.
Happy dining,
Rachel
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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: The Dish: New ways to support flood-damaged bars and restaurants around Milwaukee
Reporting by Rachel Bernhard, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
