The Bartolotta Restaurants has vacated its longtime headquarters in Milwaukee’s Haymarket neighborhood early to accommodate the construction schedule of the new Milwaukee Public Museum building.
The company had a below-market lease in the highly visible location that continued through 2027. The decision to leave the building at 520 W. McKinley Ave. earlier than planned comes after more than 12 years as a fixture of the neighborhood immediately north of Fiserv Forum and the Deer District.
The Bartolotta Restaurants is now settling into its new headquarters at 234 W. Florida Street in Walker’s Point.
More than three decades ago, brothers Joe and Paul Bartolotta launched what would become a diverse collection of restaurants and catering venues that have become symbolic of the Milwaukee area dining scene, including Ristorante Bartolotta dal 1993 and Harbor House. The Bartolotta Restaurants is the umbrella under which all the family’s restaurants and venues operate.
“We recognize the importance of the new museum in Milwaukee, and we view our support as a civic duty that reinforces our commitment to the community,” said Paul Bartolotta, The Bartolotta Restaurants co-founder and owner. “The decision we have made allows us to pay it forward, as the Milwaukee Public Museum expansion will serve as a statewide cultural, historical and educational treasure, a symbol of our region’s greatness and a beacon for friends, family and neighbors to share for generations to come.”
The Bartolotta Restaurants office at the West McKinley Avenue building was situated on a portion of the 2.4-acre development at the corner of North Sixth and West Vliet streets that includes three parcels of land previously owned by Martin Drive Real Estate LLC, First Partners LLC and Haymarket Properties LLC, all of which were sold to Milwaukee Public Museum in 2021. The museum unveiled plans for its new $240 million building in July 2022.
In recognition of The Bartolotta Restaurants’ willingness to vacate the Haymarket location early, the Milwaukee Public Museum will recognize the Bartolotta family in the new building in a yet to be determined way.
