It's a full-circle summer for Jake Dehne who will open 90s2K Cafe with his brother, Seth, in the same building where he began his club-owning career more than two decades ago with Have A Nice Day Cafe, 1103 N. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr.

Dehne, who currently also owns RWB Milwaukee and Lucky Clover Irish Pub which are also on MLK Drive, decided he would create a new concept for the empty space that most recently was home to Howl at the Moon, a dueling piano bar that closed in January.

"It just makes sense for us to add something new there because of our history with the space and the close proximity to our other bars," says Dehne.

90s2K Cafe will have primarily DJs – occasionally live bands – playing favorites to deep cuts from the 1990s through the early 2000s. The decor will reflect this time period as well.

"It's going to be done well – more artfully than cheesy," says Dehne. "We want to hear people say 'Oh my God, I forgot about that!'"

Dehne is toying with the idea of serving popular food items from the era like Hot Pockets, Bagel Bites and Lunchables. "Not a dinner spot, but definitely wanna have some nostalgic snacks," he says.

The goal is to open by the end of June, but Dehne is not going to rush it. "We are going to do it right, so however long it takes," says Dehne.

The hours of operation will be Wednesday through Saturday nights from 6 or 7 p.m. until close. 

Dehne says the concept was inspired by customers at RWB Milwaukee who, despite the fact many of them were very young (or not even born) in the 90s and early 2000s, they know and love much of the music from that time.

"I've been surprised how many 21-30 years olds are into this music," says Dehne. "For people like myself who are a little older, it will be a place to let loose and relive high school and college days."

Stay tuned to OnMilwaukee for a First Look when 90s2K Cafe opens at some point this summer.