By Lori Fredrich Senior Food Writer, Dining Editor, Podcast Host Published Feb 09, 2017 at 12:01 PM

Vennture Brew Company has signed a lease this week on two storefronts located at 5517-19 W. North Ave. in Washington Heights, with the hope of opening a new establishment sometime this summer.

The multi-faceted, community-centric micro-brewery and coffee shop concept is owned by Rob Gustafson, Simon McConico and Jake Rohde, three visionary photographers who set their sights on creating a new kind of gathering place

As we wrote of the concept last August: "Vennture Brew Company is a coffee shop and a beer bar. It's a place where beer and coffee are brewed and roasted on site, and inspiration is the mother of invention. And maybe most of all, it's a community gathering space that provides not only a place to drink and work, but also a foundation for small businesses to collaborate for the greater good."

McConico says "we're super excited," particularly to be a part of the development on North Avenue, which is home to mainstays like McBob's and the site for a number of new neighborhood enhancement initiatives like a potential Bublr station and pocket park.

Gustafson notes that the timeline for the new venue depends a great deal on state and federal licensure, but he hopes they’ll be brewing by mid-summer.

Don't miss the look at the new space – as well as insight into their creativity – in this video created by the Vennture team.

Watch OnMilwaukee for additional details about Vennture as they become available. You can also follow their progress on Facebook and Twitter.

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.