Yesterday, we announced the news that Donut Monster will be opening a new location in the Landmark Building at 316 N. Milwaukee St. in the Third Ward. But yes, there's more.
As it turns out, the move also means an official brick and mortar location for Brute Pizza, which will share the Donut Monster kitchen and kiosk, creating a dual business that serves chef-driven doughnuts in the morning and artisan pizzas for lunch and dinner.
Brute Pizza, a chef-driven sourdough pizza concept founded by Chefs Jackie Woods of Donut Monster and Paris Dreibelbis launched last year as a pop-up operation, evolving over time to add a pizza trailer and both pick-up and delivery options [Read more about the Brute concept here].
Woods notes that the new brick and mortar will expand the options for the nascent pizza brand, which has in recent months catered primarily to North Shore customers in their limited delivery and pick-up area.
“It’s exciting,” he says, “It will not only give us the ability to expand the menu, but also really dial in on the consistency of the product, a luxury we haven’t had while using our Roccbox pizza oven.”
Dreibelbis agrees. “Overall, we’re looking forward to a better, more consistent product for customers. We’ll also have a much larger capacity for orders, so we won’t have to turn down customers on busy nights. And because we’ll be more centrally located, we’ll be better able to serve customers Downtown and in the surrounding area.”
New things on the horizon
Currently, Brute is operating as usual. But Dreibelbis says it’s likely things will change in the next few weeks as they make preparations to transition the business.
The Brute Pizza trailer is in the process of being sold, he says. And, with the money from the sale, they will be investing in a larger hearth style gas pizza oven, which will then be installed in the new Third Ward Kitchen.
From there, he says, it’s all about research and development. Recipes for Brute were created with the limitations of the RoccBox oven in mind, so Dreibelbis and Woods will go back to the drawing board, retesting recipes for execution in the new oven.
They will also be working on the development of new menu items, including additional pizzas (potentially Detroit style and personal-sized), as well as pasta dishes, which they’ll be serving at the new brick and mortar.
Dreibelbis says he expects that Brute may be closed temporarily during a portion of the transition, but hopefully only for a week or two.
How to get your Brute Pizza (for now)
Both hot and par-baked pizzas are currently available for pre-order from Brute Pizza Thursday through Saturday beginning at 4 p.m. Delivery is available to areas within 15 minutes of Glendale. For those who reside outside the Brute delivery zone, pick-up is also available in front of Donut Monster in Whitefish Bay (upon request).
Dreibelbis recommends ordering at least one day ahead by sending a direct message with your order details to @BruteMKE on Instagram. All orders are scheduled on a first-come first-served basis, with availability every 15 minutes during regular service.
Pizzas are 12” and feature a sourdough crust, with pricing between $15 and $18 each. Options include a specialty pizza of the week (announced on social media), plus staples like the Margherita (cherry tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, basil, olive oil and Pleasant Ridge Reserve cheese); the Three Cheese (mozzarella, parmesan, Pleasant Ridge Reserve); the P.P.P.P. (pepperoni, peppers, peppadews and Pleasant Ridge Reserve cheese); the 414 (sausage, mushrooms, onions); and the Chefs’ Pizza (anchovies, capers, garlic, Pleasant Ridge Reserve and magic brush).
There are also sides like parmesan bites, Caesar salad and Caesar fried Brussels sprouts along with rotating sweets from Matilda Bakehhouse. On Thursdays, customers who order two pizzas are eligible for one free side.
View Brute’s menu and ordering instructions online and watch Brute on Facebook and Instagram for updates and specials.
Brute Pizza offers pre-order delivery Thursday from 4 to 7 p.m., Friday from 4 to 8 p.m. and Saturday from 4 to 7 p.m.
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.
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