’Tis the season for bad tidings, it seems, in the form of restaurant closings. Soon to hit the chopping block is Public Table (5835 W. National Ave.), the West Allis establishment serving modern bar food. The resto, open since 2018, was serving things like duck breast flatbread, pork belly tacos, bison sliders and vegan nachos. Good stuff. Owner Johnny Clark focused on these more unconventional options as workaround for not having a kitchen hood.
He also loaded hungry folks up with avocado toast and power fruit bowls during weekend brunch. It’s after this Saturday’s (Dec. 24) brunch service (10 a.m.-3 p.m.) that he plans to close down. Clark seems to be taking it in stride. “It’s life. What we had was done right and brought a lot of people joy,” he says.
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But Public Table is one of the area restaurants that never recovered, profit-wise, from the COVID-19 pandemic.
For Clark, who previously had worked as a VP /director of operations for a Milwaukee Dunkin Donuts franchise, this enterprise was his first experience working “on the ground level” and he discovered he loved it. On the up side, after taking a short break, Clark will get back on the saddle, saying his goal is to open another bar/restaurant concept similar to Public Table.
Keep your eyes peeled on Public Table’s Facebook page. Clark plans to host two celebration parties – “I don’t want to leave this on a sad note,” he says – with details to come on social media.
