By Molly Snyder Senior Writer Published Jun 21, 2012 at 2:14 PM

The Hotch Spot, 1813 E. Kenilworth Pl., formerly Hotch-A-Do, will open to the public tomorrow. I had the chance to chat with Pete Panagos, who is the co-owner of the new venture with Angie Storm, who owned Hotch-A-Do.

"We kept the 'Hotch' in the name to let customers know there's a lot here that's the same, but with a little more spunk, a little more life and really interactive, top-notch – but not corporate – customer service," says Panagos, who formerly managed Cans Bar and Canteen next door to The Hotch and worked in Las Vegas at The Palms.

The new Hotch features a massive bar made from recycled wood, two large televisions and tables with board games laminated to the tops. More light boards now hang from the ceiling, an appealing amount of greenery (with more to come) and new paintings of, ahem, a cat and a rooster on the doors of the restrooms.

The menu has many of the old favorites – including the Hotch hash – along with a new emphasis on grilled items from Bison to veggie burgers. (All of the meat is farm-fed.) There's also a new selection of loaded-style side orders such as Greek fries. The brunch menu will continue to be a huge focus and many of the same soups and sandwiches will still be available.

The Hotch Spot offers four different local beers on tap and a full bar.

"We're as much of a bar as a restaurant," says Panagos.

The Hotch Spot will be open Monday-Friday from 5 p.m. until bar time; Saturday and Sundays from 9 a.m. until bar time. After Summerfest, Panagos says they will open for lunch at 11 a.m. during the week. Live music will occasionally be featured.


Molly Snyder started writing and publishing her work at the age 10, when her community newspaper printed her poem, "The Unicorn.” Since then, she's expanded beyond the subject of mythical creatures and written in many different mediums but, nearest and dearest to her heart, thousands of articles for OnMilwaukee.

Molly is a regular contributor to FOX6 News and numerous radio stations as well as the co-host of "Dandelions: A Podcast For Women.” She's received five Milwaukee Press Club Awards, served as the Pfister Narrator and is the Wisconsin State Fair’s Celebrity Cream Puff Eating Champion of 2019.