The owners of the Franksville Craft Beer Garden have signed a letter of intent to open a taproom at the Belle City Square development in the old Horlick Malted Milk plant in Racine.
The plan is for Hop Heads Hospitality & Events – owned by Ken and Molly Michel – to open a nearly 18,000-square-foot taproom, beer garden and 300-person events venue in the complex's 1911 Factory 3 building.
The Michels plan to hire as many as 30 permanent employees within its first three years and also partner with nonprofits on fundraising events including what they call a “Kitchen Takeover” to support emerging restauranteurs.
“We are excited to add to the legacy of this historic location by working to create one of the area’s top community gathering spaces,” said Ken Michel Jr.
Design and planning for the space with a goal of opening by spring or summer of 2026.
The opening would not affect the Franksville Beer Garden.
The apartment and office complex is already home to The Inclusive Bean coffee shop and MALTWORKS Business & Creative Studios.
Milwaukee developer Josh Jeffers purchased the 16-acre former Horlick Malted Milk Co. in 2018 and announced he would convert it into a mixed-use town center in June 2020, and we went over to take a look at the complex and its long history in Racine.
You can read a 2022 update on the project here.
“Our vision was that this former factory site could be a thriving neighborhood. In addition to careful planning to reignite each building, it is our community partners that are truly helping to make Belle City Square a success,” said Josh Jeffers, CEO and founder of J. Jeffers & Co.
“The Michels have shown they are dedicated to the Racine community and will optimize the space. We know they are a perfect partner for Belle City Square.”
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
