Dulce Diabla, the Lincoln Avenue bar that opened in April 2025, is eyeing a high-profile South Side corner. Owner Gilari Cortes Reyna has applied for an occupancy permit to take over 1537 S. César E. Chávez Drive, the current home of Don Julio’s Bar & Club. The filing calls for turning the roughly 1,295-square-foot tavern into a combination bar, dance club and sit-down restaurant, according to municipal paperwork.
As first reported by Urban Milwaukee, Cortes Reyna launched Dulce Diabla at 1900 W. Lincoln Ave. in April 2025 and has been hosting regular nights with karaoke, DJs and dancing, alongside specialty cocktails like cantaritos and micheladas. The new application does not clarify whether the César E. Chávez Drive plan would be an expansion of the Lincoln Avenue operation or a full relocation, and the owner did not provide comment before that earlier report went to press.
Don Julio’s License Still Active At The Address
The City of Milwaukee’s consolidated alcohol license report currently lists Don Julio’s Bar & Club at 1537 S. César E. Chávez Dr., with an active license tied to Ruben Medina-Perdomo, confirming the business is still authorized to operate there (City License Report). Any change in operator or hours at the location would require the transfer or reissuance of the appropriate city license.
Where The Proposal Sits In City Hall
The paperwork for the César E. Chávez Drive space must clear both the Licenses Committee and the Common Council before a new operator can start serving. Cortes Reyna’s licensing materials and related committee references are listed in city Legistar records (Legistar). If the council signs off on a transfer or a new Class B tavern and public entertainment premises license tied to the parcel, the César E. Chávez storefront would be cleared to offer the sit-down food and expanded entertainment outlined in the application.
Why Operators Keep Circling This Corner
The building at 1537 S. César E. Chávez Dr. has been a steady South Side nightlife address for years, and commercial listings show it continues to draw interest from buyers and tenants. That kind of attention helps explain why a neighborhood bar like Dulce Diabla would consider staking a claim there. Local MLS and commercial listings detail the property and nearby rental options, indicating the site is active on the market (atproperties.com).
For customers and neighbors, the real action to watch is at City Hall. The license transfer and related approvals will determine whether Dulce Diabla brings its cocktails, dance floor and a new food component to César E. Chávez Drive for later-night service. City records and license committee schedules will show the next formal steps, and the current operator at the address will either need to transfer its license or give up the space before any new authorization can take effect.
