Wauwatosa Village's bars and restaurants have long been popular places to enjoy beer and wine while relaxing with friends and relatives, but alcoholic beverages had to be consumed inside the bars and restaurants.
Until now.
The Wauwatosa Village Business Improvement District has announced a new, upcoming weekly event called "Sip Thursdays" staring Oct. 29 that will allow patrons to take their drinks outside and consume them while walking around a designated zone within the village.
This trial run is the first such event to take advantage of a new ordinance adopted by the Wauwatosa Common Council in July that allows the creation of "temporary designated outdoor refreshment areas," also known by the shorthand TDORA. Special events securing permits for such an area will be allowed to serve alcohol for consumption on public sidewalks, crosswalks and retail shops that otherwise would be off limits to alcoholic beverages.
The council designated three zones where these permits can now be requested: Wauwatosa Village, East Tosa (North Avenue from 60th to 76th streets) and Midtown (North Avenue, from 80th Street to Swan Boulevard).
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The Village BID said in a news release that Tosa is the first municipality in Milwaukee County to allow TDORAs, which it also describes as a "social district." The drinks must be purchased legally from a licensed establishment and must be carried in shatterproof cups featuring stickers identifying them as part of the special event.
“We are so excited to be the first to bring this concept to Milwaukee County,” Maria Panno, the Village BID director, said in the news release. “People will be able to grab a drink at one of our many amazing bars and restaurants and then wander the Village, enjoying our historic charm and best-in-the-area boutiques and shopping. We can’t wait to welcome visitors in this relaxed, fun new way.”
Other Wisconsin cities that have allowed such social districts in their downtown areas include Green Bay, Janesville, Manitowoc, Neenah and Oshkosh.
Tosa Village's Sip Thursdays will occur each Thursday from Oct. 29 to Dec. 19, except for Thanksgiving. Alcohol consumption will be limited to the heart of the village, including a portion of Harwood Avenue on the south side of the train tracks.
Participating bars and restaurants include Cafe Hollander, Buckatabon, Ristorante Bartolotta, Le Reve Cafe, Lucky Joe’s, The Ruby Tap, Draft & Vessel, The Village Cheese Shop, Arté Wine and Painting Studio and new North 48, a bar opening soon in the former Little Read Book store. Participating shops include Shop Privy, The Flannel Fox, Mooi, The Flower Lady, Little Geese Shop, Tabal Chocolate and Salamander.
