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Lucky Joe’s Alchemy & Eatery, 1427 Underwood Ave., is under new ownership. And that means changes for the bar and restaurant which opened in the Village of Wauwatosa in summer of 2015.
The new owners are Jarod Packard, longtime manager at Sal’s Pub & Grill in Menomonee Falls and co-owner of Great Outdoors Supper Club in Kewaskum, along with business partner Nate Suelflow.
"The foot traffic and the development in Wauwatosa is so exciting," Packard notes. "And with the proper hands-on approach, I think Lucky Joe’s can really be an asset to the area."
Packard says they will be shortening the name to Lucky Joe’s Tosa, as well as making improvements to the beverage menu and customer service at the venue.
"We’re going to maintain the same comfortable speakeasy type feel, as well as a similar menu," he says. "But we’re really looking at giving the place a few upgrades including the installation of 12 new craft beer tap lines and a new cocktail program."
To accommodate changes, as well as staff training, Lucky Joe’s Tosa will be closed for about a week, Oct. 8-17, reopening on Wednesday, Oct. 18.
Guests can look forward to a new cocktail menu curated by longtime Milwaukee bartender, Joey Houghtaling, co-owner of Beaker and Flask Beverage Co. Houghtaling says they will be adding about eight new original cocktails, as well as some classic offerings.
"Our focus really will be on refocusing the menu to include fresh ingredients," he says, noting that they will also be retraining staff to ensure they are providing the best possible customer experience.
The food menu, executed by Chef Frank Harroun, will remain largely unchanged with options including bar snacks, wings, sliders, empanadas and shareable plates.
Watch OnMilwaukee for additional details as they are available.
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.
