I’d wager that most people are familiar with Saz’s Hospitality Group (SHG) either through its State House Restaurant in the shadow of the Hawley Road overpass in Wauwatosa or the Summerfest sampler platter that made its triumphant return last week. However, the longtime Milwaukee business also has a property on South 2nd Street in Walker’s Point that can sometimes blend into the surrounding neighborhood due to its industrial exterior.
On Tuesday morning, SHG announced it will evolve the event venue by adding an outdoor patio, a bar and balcony overlooking the space, and additional parking spaces for guests. The group also plans to construct the exterior additions with tenting and heaters in mind, giving them year-round flexibility.
The location, which opened in 2016, will have an outdoor seating capacity of 225 and a collective indoor/outdoor capacity of 300 (that’s for a cocktail reception vs. something like a full sit-down affair) when the project wraps up. SHG expects that to be sometime in 2024, with groundbreaking to take place later this summer.
“We’re very committed to investing in the Walker’s Point neighborhood and look forward to transforming the current vacant lot into something special and unique,” SHG founder Steve Sazama said in a release announcing the project. “We believe in nothing but ‘The Finest’ for our guests, and 2024 holds a lot of excitement around what we have in store.”
SHG carries several event venues in its portfolio, which includes The George and Madcap Lounge, Jan Serr Studio on the top floor of UW-Milwaukee’s Kenilworth Square East Building, Marcus Performing Arts Center and Western Lakes Golf Club. The group announced it will continue accepting event bookings for the South Second location and maintain current rental rates as the project gets underway.
You can see renderings of the project below and find more information on SHG on the group’s website.
