Howl at the Moon space to reopen as 90s2K Cafe, a '90s- and early 2000s-themed bar

A new bar could soon come to the former Howl at the Moon space, 1103 N. King Drive, as bothers Jake and Seth Dehne plan to take over the location and create a new retro bar with a '90s and early 2000s theme.

The new concept, named 90s2K Cafe, will have music and decor from the era, along with themed drinks.

"A lot of people love '90s, 2000s music, DJs play it all the time, so we thought, let's have a space dedicated to that," Jake Dehne said.

Dehne is owner of RWB Milwaukee and Lucky Clover, which are both across the street from the new venture.

He watched that space sit empty after Howl at the Moon temporarily closed in January 2023 and officially closed earlier this year. He decided to contact the building owners to pitch a concept that would give it new life.

Dehne previously operated multiple other bars in the space, including Have a Nice Day Cafe, which was open from 2000 to 2008 and played '70s and '80s music. Dehne subsequently was owner of Suite and Pub Club until 2018 when he sold ownership of the bar.

"People loved Have a Nice Day Cafe. We're bringing that back with a newer version," Dehne said. "Being on the street and having 17-plus years in that space, we know what to do to activate it again."

Dehne said they will have limited food options including pizzas and appetizers. One drink idea he's considering for '90s nostalgia is Capri Sun mixers.

He plans to open by mid-June, with the Republican National Convention coming to neighboring Fiserv Forum July 15-18 being a hard deadline for opening.

"We gotta get it done before the RNC," Dehne said. "The previous owners put a million into it, so it doesn't need much, it just needs some theming."

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Howl at the Moon space to reopen as 90s2K Cafe, a '90s- and early 2000s-themed bar