When Red Maple opens its doors this summer, it will be completely unrecognizable to those who frequented Ollie's, the dive bar that occupied the building at 100 W. Maple St. since 1993.
Robin Koutecky bought the delapidated property earlier this year and, along with business partner Dani Boettner, is in the process of restoring the entire space.
"Every square inch has been or will be cleaned, fixed, painted and eventually decorated," says Koutecky.
The goal is to create a casual Japanese-themed bar and restaurant with Japanese street-art decor and Japanese comfort food. Boettner is Japanese and will be contributing to the menu and the cooking.
"No sushi, no ramen," says Koutecky, who also owns Clementine's Tavern. "Instead we will have food that Japanese people more commonly eat at home like Spam-fried rice, tamagoyaki (Japanese omelet) and Moco Loco."
The women plan to open the bar by mid-summer and will have food service, hopefully, by the end of the year. They will also work with the city to install four stop signs on the busy corner of Maple and 1st Street.
"It's a lot of work, but I'm really excited to add another women-owned bar to the scene," says Koutecky.
Molly Snyder started writing and publishing her work at the age 10, when her community newspaper printed her poem, "The Unicorn.” Since then, she's expanded beyond the subject of mythical creatures and written in many different mediums but, nearest and dearest to her heart, thousands of articles for OnMilwaukee.
Molly is a regular contributor to FOX6 News and numerous radio stations as well as the co-host of "Dandelions: A Podcast For Women.” She's received five Milwaukee Press Club Awards, served as the Pfister Narrator and is the Wisconsin State Fair’s Celebrity Cream Puff Eating Champion of 2019.
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