Rumors regarding Good Life's death are greatly exaggerated. The Caribbean-inspired bar and restaurant at 1935 N. Water St. has been closed for several days, but it's set to reopen on Thursday with a revamped kitchen, menu and several specials.
Like many of the business in its area the closing of the Humboldt Bridge has been nearly crippling. Add the craziness of consumer reaction to the economy and it's a rough patch for many local eateries, including Good Life.
I caught up with owner Cassie Oden recently via e-mail. Here's some Q and A straight from the Good Life.
OMC: Your kitchen was closed for a few days, any major upgrades or changes?
CO: The economy has been rough on everyone, unfortunately harder for some than others. We feel it and we know our customers feel it. Therefore, we took some time off and closed the kitchen for some restructuring and to take a step back to determine how we can provide our guests with a better experience and a better value during this trying time. So, there are a lot of things in the works and we're really excited about re-opening the kitchen this Thursday. We will be offering a recession menu Tuesdays-Thursdays with appetizers and sandwiches and then our full menu for the Weekends. We are also extending our Sunday Brunch until 4 p.m.
OMC: What's new at Good Life? Any new menu items or events?
CO: Our creative team has a variety of ideas like guest bartender night on Tuesday with $3 flavored vodka drinks, special "Recession Drink" nights which include $1 sangria on Wednesdays and $3 mojitos on Thursdays, and engaging events that we will test out in anticipation of spring when people are mobile and looking to enjoy warmer weather. This summer, we're very much looking forward to seeing new guests and welcoming back our regular guests to spend time with us on the patio and enjoy a revamped menu.
OMC: How has the Humboldt Bridge affected business?
CO: It's definitely been a challenge to get new guests and some regulars to come in while the bridge is out. Humboldt generates a lot of traffic for us. A lot of times people will drive by, see action inside and decide to come in. And I know it must have a negative affect on the other neighborhood bars and restaurants. We're hoping that when construction ends we'll have a beautiful new bridge and our guests will have better and more convenient access to us.
OMC: Your thoughts on the local dining scene?
CO: It's exciting being a part of the local dining scene these days. It is great to see more and more unique types of restaurants sprout up around town, like what we attempted by opening Good Life with our Caribbean-inspired offerings. The world is such a big, magnificent place. It's nice to be able to sample various tastes of the world right here in Milwaukee.
A life-long and passionate community leader and Milwaukeean, Jeff Sherman is a co-founder of OnMilwaukee.
He grew up in Wauwatosa and graduated from Marquette University, as a Warrior. He holds an MBA from Cardinal Stritch University, and is the founding president of Young Professionals of Milwaukee (YPM)/Fuel Milwaukee.
Early in his career, Sherman was one of youngest members of the Greater Milwaukee Committee, and currently is involved in numerous civic and community groups - including board positions at The Wisconsin Center District, Wisconsin Club and Marcus Center for the Performing Arts. He's honored to have been named to The Business Journal's "30 under 30" and Milwaukee Magazine's "35 under 35" lists.
He owns a condo in Downtown and lives in greater Milwaukee with his wife Stephanie, his son, Jake, and daughter Pierce. He's a political, music, sports and news junkie and thinks, for what it's worth, that all new movies should be released in theaters, on demand, online and on DVD simultaneously.
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