MILWAUKEE — Everyone in Milwaukee needs to be careful of one door in the city. Because if you walk through that door, you will be transported back in time. It's kind of like Marty McFly and Doc Brown's flux capacitor. Walk through that door, and you will teleport back to the 1980s.
That's because the door leads into Milwaukee's newest bar, lounge, and restaurant, Summer of '85. It's an 80s-themed bar that is filled with references to Leroy Green, My Little Pony, Run-DMC, the Karate Kid, and more.
The Bronzeville business was started by a longtime industry veteran, Paul Burgess, and his wife, Julie Lucas. Burgess has worked at places like Brownstone, Skybox Sports Bar, Walkers Lounge, MKE Daiquiri, and Points View. Now, he's ready to open up a space of his own.
“I knew if I was going to do a bar, restaurant, lounge, you know, I had to come a little different, a little curve ball, a little more unique. So this idea, this concept, in my opinion, was perfect," Burgess said.
The walls are adorned with '80s references, graffiti, and the general bright colors synonymous with '80s pop culture. There are even vintage arcade games like Mortal Kombat, NBA Jam, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
“The 80s is these years that everybody is kind of hooked to for one reason or another," co-owner, Julie Lucas, said.
Summer of '85 is an homage to the fashion, music, and especially the movies of that decade.
“I would literally live these movies and watch them over and over and over again. And it just became a part of me," Burgess said.
They have a full kitchen and serve meals like the Dojo, inspired by the Karate Kid, and Hulk Hoagie, inspired by Hulk Hogan. The drink names include Carmel Chameleon, Ice Man, and 16th Candle.
This isn't just another '80s-themed bar and restaurant. That's because they, in fact, do have an actual flux capacitor. It allows them to travel to any decade. So even if you don’t know '80s pop culture, you can still have fun.
Watch the video to see more of what it looks like inside Summer of '85...
“We have five kids, and we want a place where we could bring our kids and we’d feel great about them eating the food. We would feel terrific about the environment that they’re in," Lucas said.
There's a kids' menu and an outdoor sitting area.
To get into Summer of '85, you either have to sing your favorite '80s song or say a cheesy action movie line from an '80s movie... Okay, that's actually not the case. But there are restrictions on who can enter when.
“We are a 30-and-up club after 9 p.m. just because we want to make sure the music and the videos and all that type of stuff that we play, our clientele will enjoy it," Burgess said.
The Summer of '85 opens on Thursday, Sept. 4. They will be open seven days a week. Sundays through Wednesdays they are open 4 pm to 12 am. Thursdays through Saturdays they are open 4 pm to 1 am.
So whether you use a flux capacitor or just walk through the door, when you’re in the Summer of '85, you’re back in the '80s.
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