.jpeg)
Benson’s Restaurant Group is slated to expand its catering and events services with a new, exclusive partnership with the Milwaukee Athletic Club (MAC), 758 N. Broadway.
Beginning this May, Benson’s will become the exclusive caterer and event manager for the Downtown club, which reopened in 2022 after a major $65 million renovation. Under the new agreement, Benson’s will lease the event space and establish its full catering kitchen onsite, enabling expansion of offsite catering services throughout the greater Milwaukee area.
Benson’s will oversee all operations for the MAC event spaces and ballrooms, which are open to the public and available for weddings, business events, galas and more.
The team will also absorb the MAC’s current sales and events staff to ensure continuity through the transition and effectively fulfill all current event contracts. As a result, existing clients will see no disruption to their planned menus and events. Benson’s will gradually incorporate its own signature menu offerings under its Executive Chef and Vice President of Food and Beverage Alex Sazama.
Although event management will transition to Benson’s, the onsite restaurant and rooftop will remain under the management of the Milwaukee Athletic Club.
“Benson’s is thrilled to bring our culinary creativity and exceptional service to the Milwaukee Athletic Club,” noted David Marcus, CEO of Marcus Investments in a release about the new agreement. “We are excited to build on the venue’s already stellar reputation by introducing our own distinctive flavors and unparalleled event expertise.”
As a passionate champion of the local dining scene, Lori has reimagined the restaurant critic's role into that of a trusted dining concierge, guiding food lovers to delightful culinary discoveries and memorable experiences.
Lori is an avid cook whose accrual of condiments and spices is rivaled only by her cookbook collection. Her passion for the culinary industry was birthed while balancing A&W root beer mugs as a teenage carhop, fed by insatiable curiosity and fueled by the people whose stories entwine with every dish. Lori is the author of two books: the "Wisconsin Field to Fork" cookbook and "Milwaukee Food". Her work has garnered journalism awards from entities including the Milwaukee Press Club. In 2024, Lori was honored with a "Top 20 Women in Hospitality to Watch" award by the Wisconsin Restaurant Association.
When she’s not eating, photographing food, writing or planning for TV and radio spots, you’ll find Lori seeking out adventures with her husband Paul, traveling, cooking, reading, learning, snuggling with her cats and looking for ways to make a difference.
