The Nomad World Pub owner Mike Eitel says changes are planned for his iconic Milwaukee drinking spot. These include a major cleanup and expansion in April and converting to a smoke bar before the ban mandates it.
"We are going to make some surprising changes to the interior in time for the soccer World Cup this coming June. We will be closing down for a few days, and will reopen as a smoke-free bar ahead of the ban," Eitel said.
All March The Nomad, 1401 E. Brady St., celebrates its first 15 years as a pub with a series of special events including live music, DJs and the launch of "The World's Shortest Happy Hour:" $1 drinks Mondays through Thursdays from 4 to 4:15. p.m.
"We wanted to do something a little crazy," said Eitel. "While we think every hour at The Nomad is a 'happy hour,' we don't usually offer the typical discounting associated with happy hours at bars around town. This is definitely a crazy way to break with 15 years of tradition."
The month's list of events includes performances by the Rusty P's, Slo-Fi, DJ Death by Stereo and Alcoholics Unanimous. The special schedule also includes The Nomad's annual St. Patrick's Day party with live music by local Irish bands Reilly and MacTavish.
Eitel, who also owns Trocadero, Café Hollander and Café Centraal with business partner Eric Wagner, has enjoyed his first 15 years on Brady Street.
"Every day brings new faces, new residents and new business owners and everyday one can find people who have literally been here for a lifetime. My next-door neighbor has spent her entire 83-year life on this street. It's its mix of socio-economic and ethnic diversity that really sets Brady Street apart from Milwaukee's other great neighborhoods.
"It is truly the most dynamic, diverse neighborhood in the city. To me, Brady Street is one of the crown jewels of Milwaukee. Yes, up there with Ryan Braun, the Milwaukee Art Museum, Liberace and Harley-Davidson."
As for what's next for Brady Street, Eitel would love to see more bikes, better walkability and even weekend closures.
"It will never happen, but I'd like to see Brady Street become less of an arterial thoroughfare and more of a bike/pedestrian-friendly street. Cobblestones, weekend street closures in the summer, maybe even car-free Saturdays once a month. I'd love to see the two area schools continue to thrive and for even more families to move here," said Eitel.
"Oh, and I'd like the weather to improve during May and June," Eitel added with a smile. "That is my utopian dream for Brady."
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.
