Friends of Hoyt Park Pool wants to add beer garden in Wauwatosa
Milwaukee County would get a second beer garden this summer, adjacent to the Hoyt Park Pool in Wauwatosa, if the community group seeking to operate the beer garden wins approvals for it.
The Friends of Hoyt Park Pool would operate the garden and is in negotiations on what the county's share of the take would be. The friends group raised about $8 million toward the new pool, which opened in 2011.
The Wauwatosa beer garden would follow in the footsteps of the county's first modern-era beer garden in Estabrook Park, which opened last year and was modeled after German beer gardens that combine food and beer in a family atmosphere. The Estabrook beer garden netted the county about $65,000 last year, based on a commission of 20% of beer and 10% of food sales.
If a deal is worked out, the Landing at Hoyt Park beer garden would open in early July at the historic bath house building at the pool site, said Kit Slawski, executive director of the Hoyt Park friends group.
The Hoyt Park beer garden would operate from 3 to 9 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday and would be on the opposite side of the bath house from the pool.
The physical layout would be similar to the Estabrook beer garden, with rows of picnic tables set on a bed of fine gravel, with strings of tiny lights illuminating the area at night. The Hoyt Park beer garden would have seating for about 300, the same as at Estabrook.
The Hoyt Park beer garden also wants to emulate the low-key atmosphere Estabrook achieved, said Mary Pluta, communications director for the Hoyt friends group. The Estabrook beer garden is operated by the Old German Beer Hall and features German beer served in heavy glass steins. Instead of the German music featured at the Estabrook beer garden, local musicians would entertain at the Hoyt Park garden.
The proceeds from the beer garden would be used to help cover the pool's operating expenses, Slawski said.
Jim Keegan, the county's interim parks director, said the beer garden would be an asset to Hoyt Park and probably would be well received. He said he's heard of no complaints from neighbors.
The Hoyt Park beer garden needs approvals from the County Board and the Wauwatosa Common Council.
The county sought but did not receive any proposals for beer gardens in Brown Deer and Whitnall parks for this summer, Keegan said.