A plan to revive a once-busy stretch of Milwaukee’s East Town has fallen apart, leaving a trio of familiar hangouts sitting dark and fully furnished, like someone hit pause on a Friday night. The ground-floor spaces in the 770 Building that housed SportClub, Experts Only and Barrel Burrito Company have been closed since at least Jan. 6, with their signs still up and barstools still in place. Now neighbors and downtown workers are left to wonder if the block will stay quiet well into spring.
License Division Manager James Cooney told the Common Council’s Licenses Committee that registered agent Henry Meza requested to withdraw Homewood Hospitality Group’s liquor license applications for the sites at 750 and 782 N. Jefferson St. Committee members voted to accept the withdrawals, according to Urban Milwaukee. Those applications had been filed in January after the previous operator abruptly closed the businesses. Urban Milwaukee reported that Meza did not respond to requests for comment by publication time.
The spaces were previously run by Caravan Hospitality Group, led by Mike Eitel, which operates Nomad World Pub and other local spots, BizTimes Milwaukee reported. Caravan counted SportClub, Barrel Burrito Company and Experts Only among its downtown lineup as recently as 2025, so the proposed license transfer initially looked like a straightforward handoff to keep the block active.
Planned reopenings fizzled
Homewood Hospitality had pitched a modest rebrand: bring back SportClub as “Sports-Club” and merge Experts Only with Barrel Burrito Company into a single concept called Burrito Donkey, serving burritos, bowls, nachos and bar snacks, according to Urban Milwaukee. The transfers were expected to finalize in February, pending city approval, but the withdrawal wiped out that timeline. For now, the block is a tableau of dark windows, lingering signage and unused furniture.
What comes next
With the applications now off the table, the Licenses Committee remains the gatekeeper for any future operator who wants to pour drinks at the Jefferson Street addresses. Agendas and schedules are posted on the city’s Legistar system, and the committee calendar, including upcoming hearings and files, is available on Milwaukee Legistar. Any new player will need to submit fresh applications or transfer requests before the committee can send a recommendation to the full council.
Turnover along Jefferson Street and in the wider downtown hospitality scene has been steady in recent years, a trend BizTimes Milwaukee and other outlets have tracked. For the 770 Building, the identity of the next operator, or a decision to convert the spaces to something new, will decide whether that stretch of East Town gets its daytime crowds and late-night energy back.
