When Chris Bohl moved from Nashville to Milwaukee a few years ago, his plan was to continue working as a chef, which he had been doing for about a decade. In fact, he moved to Brew City because of a job opportunity in a local restaurant, but unfortunately, Bohl never made it to his first shift.
"One night, I was hit by a car driven by a 16-year-old without a license," says Bohl. "I broke everything on the right side of my body."
Bohl says he was "out of commission" for about six months following the crash, and during that time, he started hanging out at a neighborhood watering hole called The Pub, 2479 N. Fratney St.
After he started to heal, Bohl picked up a few bartending shifts, and then in March of 2009, he purchased the business. Bohl reopened The Pub this past summer.
"The Pub is a very diverse, very friendly bar," says Bohl. "You’ll meet all kinds of people here, from punk rockers to hip-hop kids. It’s really a great mix of different people and everyone gets along really well here."
Bohl says he didn’t make major changes to The Pub because he was already satisfied with the scene. He did, however, extend happy hour from 3 to 7 p.m. every day except Sunday and now offers $1.50 rail drinks and $2 for anything on tap during that time.
In general, The Pub’s prices are cheap, offering $3 pitchers of Point and $1 cans of beer. Also, the bar has a decent selection of tap beer, including Guinness, Murphy’s Irish Stout, Sierra Nevada, Bell's and a rotating representation of local breweries.
"I like to switch it up, but we usually have Riverwest Stein and Point," he says.
Currently, The Pub hosts a band about once a month. For his first year in business, Bohl has a probationary liquor license and, consequently, has to pay for a permit every time he wants to have a live band. After his probationary period ends in March, he hopes to have live music more frequently.
At this point, The Pub allows smoking, but like all Milwaukee bars it will go non-smoking next July when the smoking ban goes into effect.
Bohl, who is mostly healed from his injuries, was a member of multiple punk bands -- he plays guitar, bass and drums -- but is not currently in a group.
"The bar and my 9-month-old daughter keep me pretty busy," he says.
Today, Bohl lives across the street from The Pub with his family and says the neighborhood is a good fit for him.
"I like Riverwest a lot. Before moving here, I had been coming here for about 15 years with various bands and I always had a great time," he says.
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.
