Milwaukee’s Common Council has officially signed off on a new woman-owned tavern for Historic Mitchell Street, clearing Machillo’s Place to pour drinks at an address with a notoriously rough past.
Owner Diana Gonzalez quietly opened Machillo’s Place earlier this month, then got a loud show of support from City Hall. On May 12, the council unanimously upheld the Licenses Committee’s recommendation to approve the tavern’s license, giving the south side spot a clean start at a location long associated with trouble.
The bar fills about 1,431 square feet near 20th and Mitchell and bills itself as a laid-back neighborhood hangout, with pool tables and a jukebox as the main draws.
According to the City of Milwaukee, Machillo’s Place LLC is licensed at 2000 W. Mitchell St., with Diana E. Gonzalez listed as the license agent. The valid alcohol license report, current as of May 28, 2026, confirms the business is cleared to sell alcohol in the city and notes it is located in the 8th aldermanic district.
Council Upholds Licenses Committee Recommendation
The Common Council voted through the Licenses Committee’s recommendations on May 12, locking in a 15-0 decision, according to Milwaukee Legistar. The committee’s work was part of a broader package of license actions, bundling Machillo’s approval with new and renewed licenses across the city.
From a Drug-Trafficking Hub to a Woman-Owned Tavern
The 2000 block of West Mitchell once housed El Infierno, a business city officials shut down after a Milwaukee Police Department investigation that officers said tied the address to arrests, guns and large drug seizures.
As reported by Urban Milwaukee, authorities linked former operator Antonio Martinez to 10 arrests, eight firearms and more than 9,000 grams of narcotics, including more than 1,000 grams each of cocaine, methamphetamine and THC.
In light of that history, Ald. JoCasta Zamarripa told the outlet, “I’m excited to welcome this woman-owned bar back onto Mitchell Street.”
What Machillo’s Will Offer
Machillo’s Place opened in early May as a low-key neighborhood tavern focused on drinks and games. Inside, patrons will find alcoholic beverages, pool tables and a jukebox. The business does not serve food, according to its license application.
The same application lists planned hours as Monday through Thursday from 3 p.m. to 2 a.m., Friday and Saturday from noon to 2:30 a.m., and Sunday from noon to 2 a.m., per Urban Milwaukee.
Neighbors and Next Steps
Gonzalez told the Licenses Committee in April that she previously worked as a bartender in her mother’s taverns and that opening Machillo’s Place was her effort to strike out on her own and “open a business.”
No neighbors appeared to testify at the Licenses Committee hearing. City records now list the license for Machillo’s Place as active, as Gonzalez settles in and begins a new chapter for 2000 W. Mitchell St.
