After breathing life back into the Downtown space that originally housed the Grand Avenue Mall, the 3rd Street Market Hall is set to launch another location at American Family Field.
The 3rd Street Market Hall Annex will open for business for the Milwaukee Brewers home opener on Tuesday with four vendors in a space on the right field loge level that overlooks the ballpark.
The project stems from a partnership between the Brewers and Milwaukee restauranteur and developer Omar Shaikh. The vendors chosen for the American Family Field site also have operations at the Downtown location and will offer non-standard ballpark fare.
“If you are coming to the ballpark for one game a year, you’re going to get that beer and brat,” Shaikh said. “But there are a lot of people who come to multiple games, and they’ll have some new and authentic food options from Venezuela, from Mexico and so on, to choose from. It’s a good idea to have different types of cuisines. If you look at other ballparks across the country, they are starting to do that.”
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Shaikh noted that Petco Park in San Diego, home of the Padres, already has been successful in expanding food options for fans.
Selecting the vendors for the 3rd Street Market Hall Annex came down to those offering items not already available at the ballpark.
“We couldn’t bring a burger and custard place, or those offering cuisines that are already here,” Shaikh said. “We wanted it to really standout. We also wanted to pick vendors who really run a good business.”
The four vendors and their ballpark menu items are:
- Anytime Arepa: Venezuelan fare that includes a variety of arepas, mini empanadas, and tostones and mild salsa
- KAWA: Asian fusion offerings that include crab Rangoon, spring rolls, Godzilla rolls and chicken fried rice
- Kompali Tacos: Steak, chicken and vegetarian tacos, along with chips and guacamole
- Smokin’ Jack’s BBQ: Texan sandwich, pork shoulder sandwich, The Smokey Bird sandwich and smoked meat nachos
“We are very excited about this. It’s been a long journey from 2018 when we started our business in mobile events like farmer’s markets and summer events,” said Leo Farfan, who owns Anytime Arepa with his wife, Maria Salas. “Now, being here is like a dream come true. The 3rd Street Market Hall gave us an opportunity to meet people and to show our products. We are bringing our traditional food to Milwaukee. People have been very open and accepting. We feel very appreciated.”
Salas said Anytime Arepa’s gluten-free menu items have become very popular among customers. “Customers also love the combination of flavors,” she said.
The American Family Field spot will offer a condensed version of Anytime Arepa’s menu at the 3rd Street Market Hall’s Downtown location, along with smaller portions more suitable for stadium fare, Farfan said.
The added exposure for their family business will be immeasurable, Farfan said. “We are trying to get arepas and empanadas from Venezuela more well known, so I think it will be a great way to spread the word,” he said.
The vendors are grateful for the opportunity to expand their businesses, Shaikh said. “It’s an opportunity of a lifetime for them, to get their brand out in front of millions of people,” he said. “They would never get this type of exposure otherwise.”
The decision to open a 3rd Street Market Hall location at American Family Field stemmed from a desire to offer food beyond the ballpark staples of brats, hotdogs and peanuts, Brewers President of Business Operations Rick Schlesinger said.
“This is a chance to try some made-on premises food that is authentic and has been very popular,” he said. “Our goal is that it becomes so popular that we have to add more varieties.”
The loge level corner space is an open area where fans can remain connected to the action on the field, which factored into the decision about where to located the 3rd Street Market Hall Annex, Schlesinger said.
“You’re not in some closed off area where you can’t hear or watch the game,” he said. “So, whether you’re having your empanada or your taco, you’re still connected to the game.”
The space already has been a draw to fans in past seasons because of existing stands that offer craft cocktails and beer, as well as a great vantage point of the field.
The 3rd Street Market Hall Annex was built with future expansion in mind, Schlesinger said.
“If it’s successful, we want to bring more of the food vendors and more specialty food from the 3rd Street Market Hall here and we’ve got the real estate to do it,” he said.
Offering new and varied food items could draw more fans to American Family Field, Schlesinger said.
“Baseball is the reason people come to the ballpark, but it’s not the only reason,” he said. “I can’t control how the team does on the field, although I have high expectations. But we can control everything else. The parking, the food, the cleanliness, safety and pricing. We’re trying to do everything we can to make this fun and affordable and a novel and interesting place to be.”
Fans have been clear in their demand for variety and new options, Schlesinger said.
“Fans want new stuff. They want to be impressed. They want to be surprised,” he said. “And they care about food. We take it very seriously. We’re listening to the fans.”
The 3rd Street Market Hall Annex will provide an experience that goes beyond food, Shaikh noted. There is a “turfed” area with giant Jenga and other amenities, designed with families in mind, as well as a wall with video games.
The 3rd Street Market Hall’s Downtown site opened in January 2022 on the first floor of The Avenue, 275 W. Wisconsin Ave., and has become a go-to spot in Downtown’s redeveloping Westown section.
“We continue to grow and reinvest,” Shaikh said. “We’re full and we now have a little bit of a waiting list to get in.”
He noted that Venue 3, a new event space, has added to the activity at 3rd Street Market Hall as has City Fountain, a self-serve tap-beer wall.
Business at the site has also been boosted by a heavy event schedule at the nearby Fiserv Forum, as well as an ongoing trend of businesses shifting jobs to redeveloped office sites in Westown, Shaikh said. “Things are good,” he said.
The success of the 3rd Street Market Hall and its ability to drive activity in Westown caught the Brewers’ attention, Schlesinger said.
“It’s a destination in Milwaukee now. You’ve got people of all ages going there,” he said. “The food quality is high. It’s a fun environment and it’s got a great vibe. My view is that if somebody is doing something really well and it’s already been tested out, let’s bring it here. It reduces the risk of it not working out. The reality is that what Omar has done over there is so successful and so popular and so efficient, it made sense. We just think this a home run.”
