Owner Mike Eitel confirmed today that he will not reopen The Tavern at Turner Hall, located in the bar and restaurant space on the main floor of the historic Turner Hall, 1040 N. Vel R. Phillips Ave.
Eitel closed the venue last March at the onset of the coronavirus pandemic.
"I'm guessing someone will reopen it sooner or later," Eitel says. "Hopefully, the ballroom guys."
The Tavern at Turner Hall opened in autumn 2018, and Eitel set about collecting vintage rock and roll club signage to adorn the interior, including the large Odd Rock Cafe that once hung on the exterior of that Bay View venue and letters from the Sydney Hih.
The following summer, Eitel unveiled striking new exterior signage for The Tavern.
The vintage signs inside were mostly on loan, Eitel says, and will be returned to their owners.
The ballroom is operated by The Pabst Theater Group.
Eitel also owns and operates The Nomad and SportClub in Milwaukee and Panga in Lake Country.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He can be heard weekly on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories.
