A Milwaukee band wants to turn this old Cudahy nightclub into an arcade and music venue
CUDAHY - Milwaukee-based punk band Direct Hit plans to turn a former nightclub on Packard Avenue into a mini arcade and music venue.
Direct Hit is working to reopen 5036 S. Packard Ave. before the end of the year.
Lead singer and manager for Direct Hit, Nick Woods, in partnership with the band, his wife Kate and Chicago musicians/artists Andy Slania and Eric Baskauskas worked to secure the financing needed to purchase the property.
Woods said he has known the building for a long time, playing in it when he was 19 and in his first band. The choice to use this property was both one of nostalgia as well as the fact that Woods is familiar with the layout and how it operated. He also said Cudahy is an up-and-coming place that's a bridge between other South Shore communities.
Seven additional investors from Milwaukee, Chicago, Michigan and Minneapolis contributed consultation/legal council toward planning the business. Investors all have deep roots in Milwaukee music, according to Woods.
Fixing it up
Renovations have already begun on the site, which was formerly known as The Metal Grill and Vnuk’s. The name of the new venue will be announced in the coming months.
"We're trying to take our time with the space," Woods said. "This is the first service business we're all running together."
The group has plans to install a new PA system, bar and restaurant equipment. Other repairs and updates will also be completed on the building, built in 1900, before opening. Woods said the building will still have the same look, but the internals will be upgraded. Over $100,000 is going into the renovations and equipment purchases, Woods said.
Non-alcoholic drinks will be served in addition to various forms of alcohol, including cocktails, and domestic and craft beer.
As for hours of operation, Woods said they plan to be open earlier than most places. The current plan is to be closed Monday for clean-up. Tuesday and Wednesday hours are planned to be noon until 11 p.m., Thursday, Friday and Saturday are slated to be noon-to-bar-close with Sunday hours planned to be 11 a.m. until 5 or 6 p.m.
Goal of the venue
Woods said the goal is to “fill a void” in the Milwaukee area which he said existed since The Globe East, formerly on North Avenue, closed 15 years ago.
“Performers of all ages need a safe, stable and affordable place to hone their skills, meet new people in their communities, and realize their visions for both themselves and their art, just like any pro athlete training in a gym,” Woods said.
Woods said the group wants to design an operation that is a “long-lasting, inclusive, viable venue for creative people of every persuasion.”
Woods said playing in a touring rock band taught him more skills and life lessons than any job, class or mentor. He said this project is the group’s way of giving back to the community that supported them.
“We hope our place will have a hand in providing that same opportunity to new and established artists, entertainers, journalists and leaders,” he said.
It's touring that also led to the idea for an arcade. Woods said the band's guitar player serviced arcade machines as a side job and often the band would visit arcades to kill time between shows. He said they had the most fun at arcades with smaller collections of 10 to 20 machines, calling bigger arcades "overwhelming."
As for what games would be included at the new Cudahy venue, Woods said they will likely be games that came out in the mid-'90s such as the original arcade versions of Nintendo 64 games like NBA Jam and Mortal Kombat, for example.
Cudahy Mayor John Hohenfeldt said he is “pleased to see old buildings in Cudahy brought back to life.”
“Mr. Woods and his partners have great plans for the facility and we look forward to them being a part of our business community downtown,” he said.
