The dining concepts inside the Associated Bank River Center building in downtown Milwaukee are now back open after a rebrand by new operator Marcus Hotels & Resorts.
The company on Thursday announced Upper Bar as the new name of the center’s second-level river view cocktail lounge. The ground-level food court, still known as the River Center Market, now features a new lunch menu and coffee bar, called Perk Up, serving Milwaukee-based Valentine Coffee Roasters coffee.
It was announced in July that Marcus Hotels, the hospitality arm of Milwaukee-based Marcus Corp. and operator of neighboring arts-themed hotel Saint Kate, would take over food and beverage operations at the River Center from Milwaukee-based 41Fork Hospitality, which designed and opened the second-floor bar (then known as Vault) and the River Center Market in summer 2023 as part of Associated Bank’s renovation of the 28-story office building.
Vault and the market’s three vendors, Knockbox, On Rye and Toro Tacos & Bowls, all closed in August as 41Fork and its subsidiary Noble Catering & Events shifted focus on its other business ventures, including two flagship event venues Pearl and Cade in Milwaukee’s Historic Third Ward and Brixton’s Turn, opening in spring 2026 in Bay View.
Upper Bar’s menu runs the gamut from cocktails such as the pistachio espresso martini and ginger rum paloma to non-alcoholic and THC-infused beverages and also includes wine and beer lists. It also serves a variety of small plates including marinated veggie crudité, smoked chicken wings and flatbreads. The Upper Bar space is available for private event rentals. Its operating hours are Tuesday through Thursday, 4-8 p.m.; Friday, 2-10 p.m.; and Saturday 2 p.m. to midnight.
The River Center Market, open Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., continues to offer both grab-and-go items and made-to-order fare. Its new menu includes homemade soups, specialty salads and custom deli sandwiches. There’s also an entree station serving smash burgers, buttermilk fried chicken breast sandwiches, Reubens and hot dogs, with sides like fries and cheese curds. Also available will be made-to-order burrito bowls and plated daily specials such as lasagna casserole, sushi rolls from Saint Kate’s new restaurant The Studio, and a Friday fish fry.
Along with Valentine Coffee, smoothies and tea, the market’s new cafe Perk Up will serve breakfast fare such as quiche, sandwiches and baked goods as well as grab-and-go items.
“Marcus Hotels & Resorts has been an integral part of Milwaukee’s dining and entertainment story for decades,” said John Wise, the division’s vice president of food and beverage. “With Upper Bar and River Center Market, we’re doing what Marcus does best: elevating downtown Milwaukee’s food and beverage scene with experiences designed to bring people together.”
Marcus already has a substantial presence at the 111 E. Kilbourn Ave. complex with the Saint Kate as well as the company’s corporate headquarters occupying 52,000 square feet of office space.
The River Center’s new dining concepts are led by the Saint Kate culinary team, which operates three other restaurants within the hotel: a lobby bar called the Bar at Saint Kate, Proof Pizza, serving up fast-casual Neapolitan style pizza, and its newest concept The Studio Kitchen & Cocktails, which recently opened on the second floor in place of Aria and Giggly.
Associated Bank purchased the 28-story building, previously known as the Milwaukee Center, in 2016 and renamed it the Associated Bank River Center. In addition to the Saint Kate, the tower is connected to the Pabst Theater and the Milwaukee Repertory Theater, which will soon open its newly rebuilt $75 million Associated Bank Theater Center.
“With Associated Bank River Center at the epicenter of downtown Milwaukee, we are thrilled to partner with Marcus Hotels & Resorts and the Saint Kate team to bring these incredible new bar and dining experiences to all who work and visit here,” said David Knight, senior vice president and director of real estate at Associated Bank. “In just one place, we have brought together some of the very best of Milwaukee: from business to theater, hospitality to dining. We look forward to enjoying all that’s to come at Upper Bar and River Center Market.”
Dining and Cooking