When Rebecca Loewen and Lis Duggan opened Cloud Red in 2016, the plan for the business was to be a bar and social gathering space. The two women envisioned a chill, welcoming spot – away from their kids – that would provide items at price points accessible to anyone.

“We are both moms who wanted a place near our houses that served good drinks,” says Loewen.

Originally, Cloud Red, located at 4488 N. Oakland Ave. in Shorewood, had six items on their food menu, one food cooler and very limited seating beyond at the bar. They encouraged people to bring in food from other local eateries. 

But customers loved Cloud Red’s fresh, healthy and affordable food. A lot.

“We got slammed,” says Loewen. “So we got another cooler and we got another table. But we kept getting slammed.”

Loewen, who has worked 35 years in the service industry, wanted to put her restaurant days behind her. She worked at iconic spots like Heinemann’s, Roots and The Irish Pub, and was ready to do something different. But customers couldn’t get enough of the food.

So Loewen and Duggan went with the flow. 

The menu – created by staff members collectively – now features sandwiches, burgers, salads, bowls, nachos, dips, tacos, flatbreads, spring rolls, desserts and more. Customers are still welcome to bring in food from other eateries. There is not a wait staff, instead guests order from the bartenders at the bar. There are no high chairs, but kids are welcome.

“We are the epitome of casual,” says Loewen.

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Loewen was inspired by the Holiday Folk Fair, which she attended often as a kid while growing up in Milwaukee. She wanted a global menu with myriad options for carnivores, vegetarians, vegans and gluten-free eaters.

“I wanted something for everyone. Something approachable,” says Loewen. “There’s an air around ‘better’ food, and I wanted to break that down.”

Cloud Red’s drink offerings are equally as vast. During happy hours, they serve $3 Millers and cocktails, but also have 16 beers on tap, a strong selection of wine and a cocktail menu loaded with delectable looking and sounding drinks – both potent and zero-proof.

Loewen and Duggan work with many local and indie brewers, distillers and winemakers. “The people behind the company really matters to us,” says Loewen.

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Currently, Cloud Red has West Bend Lite on tap from 1840 Brewing Company, and all proceeds from sales go directly to the owners, who are a family. The wife – who is also a mother of three – was diagnosed with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer in November.

“They are going through an awful time, and we want to support them however we can,” says Loewen.

During a recent visit, my companion and I were all about the drinks and tried the punchy “Pink Pony Club” from the Gin Jam Series; the smoky and full-bodied Mezcal Fig Sour; and a creamy, delicious “Tom Kha Tonic” – our favorite of the evening – made with gin, lemongrass, makrut lime, galangal, Thai chili, coconut and Tope Note tonic. We also sampled pulled pork nachos and buffalo cauliflower at the bar. Both were attractive, flavorful, fresh and hefty in portion size. 

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Loewen says the staff is at the heart of Cloud Red’s success. “Nobody who works here has a big ego,” she says. “They have intuition and understanding, which then comes through to the customers.” 

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As a longtime service industry worker, Loewen is determined to provide a healthy and lucrative work environment.

“Could I take home a larger paycheck? Sure. But having a happy staff and customers is way more meaningful to me than anything else,” she says.

Originally, Loewen and Duggan named the bar 4488, which are the numerals in the address. From the beginning, they wanted the place to feel like a second home, and thought that name would convey that. However, after they hired a designer to create a logo, it didn’t look or feel right to them. 

“But time was ticking, and we really needed to come up with a new name,” says Loewen.

Shortly afterwards, Loewen noticed red-winged blackbirds and thought about how often she saw these birds in Shorewood. Her husband, who is a Milwaukee Public School teacher, told her a group of red-winged blackbirds is called a “cloud,” and that resonated with Loewen. At first, she thought about naming the business “Red Cloud,” but after doing research, she learned that was the name of an Indigenous leader of the Oglala Lakota, and obviously it wouldn’t be appropriate to name the bar that. So she flipped the words and named it “Cloud Red.”

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Customers have urged Loewen and Duggan to open satellite bars in Riverwest, Mequon and Wauwatosa, but for now, that’s not in the plans. Loewen wants to keep doing what they’re doing for the community in terms of service, but also through fundraising events, cultural marketplaces, occasional live music and more.

“We’re not trying to be the best at anything. We do what we do well, and I’m proud of it,” says Loewen. “Regardless of how much money a person has or if they drink alcohol or don’t drink alcohol or eat meat or are vegan – it’s all good. We just ask for people to be nice. That’s honestly all I care about.”

Cloud Red is open Tuesday through Thursday from 4 p.m. until midnight; and Friday and Saturday from 2 p.m. until midnight. Food is served until 9 p.m. Follow Cloud Red on Instagram here.