Roast Public House, which opened in early October 2012 at 529 State Street in the former Buffalo Wild Wings location in Wisconsin, is to move – across the street. The move, which will take place within the month, is the result of the restaurant being forced to shift along with three popular ethnic restaurants – Buraka, Husnu’s and Kabul – due to an enormous 12-story building now being planned for the block. This proposed building from Core Campus and Mullins Group is likely to feature over 300 apartments and 22,000 square feet of commercial space.
Roast will be making a move into the space that was formerly S2pizzabar. The wood-fired pizza restaurant was owned by Ian Gurfield of Ian’s Pizza; it closed down after just four months last March, with Gurfield admitting that it was an uneasy fit with the neighborhood.
Henry Aschauer, who opened Roast Public House with Doug Hamaker, acknowledges that having to move so soon has not been easy, especially given that the restaurant has been enjoying a busy summer season. “It’s all part of the fun of being in the industry,” he admits. “It’s not a nightmare, I suppose. It’s just another hurdle.”
Aschauer says that he and Hamaker are taking advantage of the opportunity provided by the relocation to help the restaurant to grow and mature. The move is expected to have taken place by the end of this month, and Aschauer is hoping that Roast Public House will not need to be closed for more than five days.
Gene Salaz
