By Lori Fredrich Senior Food Writer, Dining Editor, Podcast Host Published Dec 15, 2017 at 1:21 PM

Valhalla, the Scandinavian bar and restaurant located at 1111 N. Old World 3rd St. has closed.

The venue, which had stopped serving food in early October,  announced its closing on Facebook earlier today. The message was simple and to the point: "Thank you for your support. Unfortunately, Valhalla has closed. A new restaurant and bar is planned for the space in 2018."

The Third Street bar, which opened last March, was operated by Ken and Melissa McNulty, owners of the Wisconsin Cheese Mart and Uber Tap Room.

 In a phone conversation this afternoon, Melissa expressed mixed emotions over the closing. "We really put our heart and soul into the concept," she said. "But, in the end, we weren’t able to put the energy into running the business that it deserved. Ultimately, we had to make the decision to devote our energy to the cheese business and tap room."

She did note that a buyer has come forward for the building; however she added that she could not disclose information on plans for the space at this time.

Watch OnMilwaukee for details as they develop.

Lori Fredrich Senior Food Writer, Dining Editor, Podcast Host

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 each and every dish. She’s had the privilege of chronicling these tales via numerous media, including OnMilwaukee and in her book “Milwaukee Food.” Her work has garnered journalism awards from entities including the Milwaukee Press Club. 

When she’s not eating, photographing food, writing or recording the FoodCrush podcast, 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.