Big things are on the horizon for Café Centraal, 2306 S. Kinnickinnic Ave. in Bay View.

The Lowlands Group announced today that it will close the cafe beginning Jan. 2 to accommodate renovations to the restaurant and kitchen. 

Café Centraal, which made its debut in the fall of 2008, is the latest of Lowlands Group’s grand cafés to experience a refresh following the redux of both the Wauwatosa and East Side locations of Café Hollander. However, the work at Café Centraal will be far more extensive than these previous projects.

"When we first opened Centraal 10 years ago, Bay View was a very different neighborhood and we opened on a shoestring budget," noted Dan Herwig, director of brand and marketing at Lowlands Group in a release. "This renovation is all about setting Centraal up for its next 10-year run in Bay View."

Planned updates include an overall update to the look and feel of the restaurant, expansive kitchen renovation including new food and beverage coolers and freezers in the basement, refinished flooring and a redesign of the restaurant bar, including an increase in the number of draught lines.  

"After 10 years of heavy use of the space, we’re looking forward to freshening it up and adding some of the details we wish we could have done when we first opened," says Herwig. "Centraal has always been an amazing place to get a beer – and without getting into details – we think this new experience will be unlike anything else in Milwaukee, or the States for that matter."

The group also plans an evolution of the existing Centraal concept – including an update to the food and beverage menus – but is not announcing any specifics at this time.

Café Centraal is open regular hours through the end of the year, including brunch for seven consecutive days during the holidays, from Dec. 26 through New Year’s Day. It will be closed on Christmas Day. The restaurant will be closed throughout the month of January with a reopening planned for early February.