One of the city's oldest watering holes is undergoing some changes.
The Swingin' Door Saloon & Eatery, 219 E. Michigan Ave., closed at the end of September and will give way later this year to the Swingin' Door Exchange.
Longtime owner Mike Murphy sold the bar to friend and former Slim McGinn's employee K.C. Swan, who is in the process of doing some minor renovations and upgrades while the bar is closed.
"We've known each other for many years," Swan said. "My wife and I have always liked this bar and we were looking for a place ... it just worked out."
When it reopens, Swan plans to give his customers a brighter atmosphere with more natural light. He and his wife, Michelle Sincere, have also obtained an extension of premise permit, which will allow for patio seating along Michigan Ave.
Cosmetic improvements aren't the only changes in store.
Swan plans to extend the kitchen's hours into the evening and eventually hopes to add a Sunday brunch during football season.
Originally, Swan had hoped to reopen the bar later this month.
"We're a little behind schedule," Swan said.
Murphy, along with his friend, Dick Vohle, purchased the bar in 1973 but it has a long history in Milwaukee. Originally opened in 1933, it was known as the Grain Exchange Tavern -- a nod to the historic Milwaukee building in which it's housed.
Former Milwaukee boxer Freeder Jordan renamed the bar Bubin's Saloon when it was bought bought it in the mid-'60s. Murphy, working as a barber next door, was brought on as night manager in the '70s, when it was sold to local businessmen.
