C. 1880 restaurant in Walker's Point to close April 28

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

C. 1880 in Walker's Point, one of Milwaukee's leading lights in fine dining since opening in 2012, will serve its last dinner April 28.

C. 1880 opened at 1100 S. 1st St. in Walker's Point on May 3, 2012.

Chef-owner Thomas Hauck announced his plans not to renew his lease over the weekend, citing financial fallout from the closure of his Karl Ratzsch restaurant last year and "changes in the Milwaukee restaurant market."

Hauck, who bought the old-guard German restaurant in 2016, closed it in April 2017 and filed bankruptcy afterward. The financial implications of that plus the booming number of restaurants in Milwaukee led to his decision.

"The number of quality restaurants in Milwaukee has grown exponentially, but the population has not grown," he observed.

"You can only cut a pie so many ways."

Married with two children, Hauck said he felt renewing the lease would be too great a risk, although the rent is reasonable and he is on good terms with his landlord. "You try to take emotion out of it and take a hard look at the numbers," he said.

The chef announced the closing well in advance — six weeks out — so that regular customers can say goodbye, new patrons can have a chance to try the restaurant and gift-certificate holders can use their presents.

"Obviously, it's sad, but we're going to have fun" in the remaining weeks, Hauck said, returning some favorite dishes to the menu and, as it gets closer to the end, opening reserve bottles of wine to pour by the glass.

Hauck, a Milwaukee native, was executive sous chef for Michel Richard at the late French chef's Citronelle restaurant in Washington, D.C., before returning to Milwaukee to open c. 1880 at 1100 S. 1st St.

The relaxed fine-dining restaurant's menu is contemporary American, built on French and modern techniques. Hauck's plates are notable for their seasonal flavors and artistic presentation.

Hauck was a semifinalist in February for the James Beard Foundation's best chef: Midwest award, as he has been since 2016. His restaurant has been on the Journal Sentinel's Top 30 list of restaurants since 2012; since ranking of top restaurants began in 2015, Circa has ranked as Nos. 2, 3 or 4.

The shuttering of Circa comes amid a spate of high-profile closings in the past five months, starting with All Purpose in Walker's Point in October, also a Top 30 restaurant. Coquette Cafe in the Third Ward, open for 19 years, closed in February. Last week, Supper closed on the east side, and its sister restaurant and another Top 30 restaurant, Wolf Peach in Brewers Hill, closed Sunday, a couple of weeks earlier than expected.