Downtown's first smoke free pub and grill, Ardor, 607 N. Broadway, opened in August 2003. In the true spirit of its name owners Eli and Dianna Freckmann brought warmth, passion and affection to a space that has seen its share of pubs come and go in the past (John Hawk's Pub, Brass Ring, Benjamin Briggs, Brinkley's, to name a few).
Sadly, Ardor closed last month. I'll miss the fish fries and sweet potato fries. It had good food and a friendly vibe. Unfortunately, its location is still a bit secluded caught between Downtown and the Historic Third Ward.
If you're ready to take the "I own a restaurant plunge," Ardor can be had for $99,000. Its craigslist post reads, "Huge lunch business and Happy Hour potential. Located walking distance from the Summerfest grounds. Cash in on the Harley-Davidson 105 Year Anniversary Bash and other summertime festivities. Excellent lease rate, all the necessary equipment and plenty of outdoor seating space. See images at ardorpub.com"
Ardor was located in the Loyalty Building on Broadway between Michigan and Wisconsin Avenue in Downtown. Built in 1886 as the home office of Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance, the building was designed in the Richardsonian Romanesque style by S.S. Beman. The building features a four-story atrium with original ornamental ironwork and a patterned glass skylight.
A life-long and passionate community leader and Milwaukeean, Jeff Sherman is a co-founder of OnMilwaukee.
He grew up in Wauwatosa and graduated from Marquette University, as a Warrior. He holds an MBA from Cardinal Stritch University, and is the founding president of Young Professionals of Milwaukee (YPM)/Fuel Milwaukee.
Early in his career, Sherman was one of youngest members of the Greater Milwaukee Committee, and currently is involved in numerous civic and community groups - including board positions at The Wisconsin Center District, Wisconsin Club and Marcus Center for the Performing Arts. He's honored to have been named to The Business Journal's "30 under 30" and Milwaukee Magazine's "35 under 35" lists.
He owns a condo in Downtown and lives in greater Milwaukee with his wife Stephanie, his son, Jake, and daughter Pierce. He's a political, music, sports and news junkie and thinks, for what it's worth, that all new movies should be released in theaters, on demand, online and on DVD simultaneously.
He also thinks you should read OnMilwaukee each and every day.
