Twenty years after Café Hollander first opened its doors on Downer Avenue, Lowlands Hospitality Group is throwing a two-part birthday celebration that spans both ends of Milwaukee's dining spectrum: a free, all-ages block party back where it all started, and an exclusive five-course Trappist beer dinner in the Historic Third Ward.
Café Hollander opened on Downer Avenue on Milwaukee's East Side, marking what became Lowlands Hospitality Group's first officially built venture, according to OnMilwaukee. That flagship redeveloped the former Gil's Café space when it opened in November 2006, as Milwaukee Record has reported. The company describes its purpose as bringing people together to make life more gezellig, the outlet notes.
Lowlands founder and CEO Eric Wagner said the anniversary month serves as a thank-you to what he calls Lowlanders, along with the communities and vendor partners who have supported the company. Wagner added that the group considers itself just getting started, per the same account. The company credits its growth to support from the East Side community, its neighborhoods and its guests.
A Free Party Returns to Where It All Began
For the public-facing half of the celebration, Café Hollander will host a free 20th anniversary block party at 2608 N. Downer Ave., the same address where the concept launched two decades ago. The event, open to all ages, runs from 2 to 8 p.m. and will offer food and beverages for purchase, including bier, wine and cocktails.
According to the City of Milwaukee's Downer Avenue BID 41 listing, the corridor is a small yet vibrant commercial district on the city's East Side that is celebrating 100 years. The City of Milwaukee's planning index lists a Downer Avenue Snapshot completed 2015, providing a city-documented reference point for the district's commercial history.
Admission is free, and the block party will feature Belgian festival snacks and live music. It marks Lowlands' return to the very stretch of Downer Avenue where the company got its start.
An Exclusive Chimay Dinner at the Rooftop Lux Skyhaus
On the more rarefied side of the anniversary lineup sits the Club Chimay Bier Dinner, set for the Lux Skyhaus, described as Café Benelux's convertible rooftop event space at 346 N. Broadway. Only 40 tickets are available to the public for the 5:30 p.m. dinner, which is limited to guests 21 and older and costs $125 per person plus tax, with gratuity included.
The rooftop venue itself recently got an upgrade: in March 2025, Lowlands Group announced a renovation that was expected to be completed in May, replace the temporary seasonal winter tents that previously covered the rooftop and enable year-round dining there, according to Milwaukee Record.
Pierre Hensenne, Chimay's export director, will guide guests through the dinner's Chimay pairings. The menu includes mussels and other dishes.
The Largest Chimay Account in the Country
Lowlands Hospitality Group's relationship with Chimay runs deep enough that the company says it now holds the largest Chimay account in the United States. Chimay's beers carry their own centuries-old pedigree: they are brewed inside Notre-Dame de Scourmont Abbey in Belgium by Trappist monks, a tradition dating to 1862 that requires all brewing to happen within monastery walls under monastic supervision, with profits directed toward charitable causes, according to background compiled from Chimay's brewery history. Chimay is one of 13 breweries worldwide that produce Trappist beer.
That level of Belgian beer credibility isn't new for Lowlands. CEO Eric Wagner was knighted by the Knighthood of the Brewers' Paddle in 2012, and beverage director Ileana Rivera received the same honor in September 2023, meaning Lowlands has two honorary Belgian beer knights, as Urban Milwaukee reported. The company also runs the Lowlands Brewing Collaborative, which creates exclusive draught collaborations, including work with Brouwerij Van Steenberge.
From One Café to Eight Restaurants and Nearly 800 Employees
What began as a single East Side café has grown into a group of restaurants. Its portfolio has included Café Hollander locations, Centraal Grand Café & Tappery and Buckatabon Tavern & Supper Club.
Lowlands has also woven itself into East Side community life beyond the dinner table. The company’s East Side presence includes Downer Avenue.
The two-decade run has also included some pandemic-era innovation. Winter Domes have been part of Lowlands' pandemic-era offerings. Café Hollander is located on Downer Avenue.
