The Milwaukee craft brewery scene is shifting, with a mix of the familiar and something completely new.
On Friday, former MobCraft Beer employee Sarah Halstead and her husband, Mike, finalized the purchase of the brewery, which closed in November 2024 after an eight-year run at 505 S. Fifth St. The couple is ironing out licensing and permits, and hopes to reopen sometime in the spring as, you guessed it, MobCraft.
“As the communications came out about MobCraft closing their doors, Mike and I started considering buying the assets from the bank,” said Sarah Halstead. “The more we went down the path of evaluating the possibilities for the business, the more excited we got about the idea. We both love craft beer and the MobCraft community, so it felt like the right opportunity for us to pursue.”
Halstead served as the director of finance and human resources for MobCraft for four years from 2019 to 2023, so she has plenty of insight into the financial side of the brewery business. “Coming from a finance background, I did a detailed analysis for us,” she added. “We do think that it can succeed, and we’re excited to put our spin on it.”
It’s time to pick your Milwaukee favorites for the year!
MobCraft 2.0 will still incorporate crowdsourcing for beer ideas, but less frequently than in the past. The Halsteads also plan to resume beer distribution. They’ve talked to potential head brewers but haven’t filled the role yet.
“Some things will be the same and some things will be different,” said Halstead. “We’re looking at different ways to add the crowdsourcing idea into different aspects of the business. Community is definitely a big piece of what we want to do – continuing what MobCraft did and expanding it.”
More Brewing: Good City to Wayfinder MKE
The next chapter is being written for Good City Brewing’s former flagship location on the East Side: WayfinderMKE.
Explorium Hospitality Group owners Mike and Joan Doble, who purchased Good City in January, are describing the new iteration as a “globally inspired restaurant” providing an “elevated” dining experience inside Good City Brewing.
While it will have distinct branding from The Explorium Brewpubs in Greendale, the Third Ward and now Wauwatosa, it does continue the theme of exploring flavors. “The name Wayfinder pays tribute to the early Polynesian explorers – navigators who sought out the best of the world around them,” said Joan Doble. “That same spirit of discovery guides our menu and our approach to hospitality. We want guests to feel like they’re on a journey, sharing amazing food and conversation with friends and family.”
The Good City taproom will be closed this week for the rebranding and will reopen as WayfinderMKE the first weekend in April, Mike Doble said. The chef is Michael Mondelli, who has been with the Explorium team for the past year.
The Dobles purchased Good City, which opened in 2016 as a major part of Milwaukee’s craft brewery boom, in January. Good City distributes beers like Motto pale ale and Home lager around the state. The East Side location (2108 N. Farwell Ave.) is Good City’s main brewery, but it also had three other taprooms. The Wauwatosa location is now an Explorium taproom, the Dobles closed the Mequon location in February, and the Deer District taproom next to Fiserv Forum is continuing as is at least through the end of the basketball season, the Dobles have said.
