Milk Can targets downtown Milwaukee expansion as owners plan rebuild after Bass Bay Brewhouse fire

Expansion plans move forward amid recovery efforts in Muskego

Milk Can Hamburgers & Frozen Custard is preparing to expand into downtown Milwaukee while its ownership group continues planning for the recovery of Bass Bay Brewhouse, the Muskego lakeside restaurant destroyed by fire in December 2025.

Milk Can’s website lists a Milwaukee location at 733 N. Milwaukee St. with operating hours posted for daily service. The same site also includes a “Returning 2027” notice, reflecting the longer timeline associated with rebuilding after the fire loss connected to Bass Bay Brewhouse.

What is known about the fire and the rebuilding timeline

Fire crews were dispatched to Bass Bay Brewhouse, S79 W15851 Aud Mar Dr. in Muskego, around 6 a.m. on Dec. 12, 2025. Authorities later described the building as a total loss after a firefight that extended into the afternoon, with the fire reported extinguished shortly after 1:30 p.m. The cause had not been determined in the months that followed.

In late February 2026, an owner stated that the business was working through insurance and rebuilding logistics and projected a possible return by spring or summer 2027. Separately, community fundraising surpassed $70,000 for employees affected by job losses tied to the closure.

• Date of fire: Dec. 12, 2025
• Location: S79 W15851 Aud Mar Dr., Muskego
• Status: Building deemed a total loss; cause not publicly resolved
• Public reopening target discussed: Spring or summer 2027

Downtown Milwaukee site: what the address suggests

The Milwaukee address identified for Milk Can—733 N. Milwaukee St.—sits in East Town, an area that has seen ongoing interest in food-and-beverage development, including proposals in recent years to reuse nearby vacant commercial space for multi-tenant dining concepts. Milk Can’s posting of hours and a dedicated Milwaukee contact line indicates operational readiness or near-term intent at that location, though independent public records confirming an opening date were not identified in available reporting reviewed for this article.

Business background and recent footprint changes

Milk Can’s broader local presence has evolved over time. The brand originated as a food-truck concept in 2019 and later moved into permanent locations. In 2023, a Milk Can Diner site in Greendale announced it would close, with the business indicating a shift in focus to its Muskego operations.

The near-term story for Milk Can now spans two tracks: launching or operating a downtown Milwaukee location while navigating the financial and construction hurdles of replacing a landmark Muskego venue lost to fire.

As of Feb. 28, 2026, the core unanswered questions remain the fire’s cause and the final scope, cost, and design of the Bass Bay rebuild—factors that will shape whether the projected 2027 return holds.