Oak Creek, WI, June, 4 — After years of research, planning, and plenty of persistence, the City of Oak Creek is getting a brand new premier recreational amenity - a permanent outdoor beer garden at Abendschein Park. 

On Tuesday, June 3, the Oak Creek Common Council unanimously approved an agreement with an experienced vendor to operate the venue.

“This has been a long time coming; I’m thrilled everything finally came together. Over the years, we’ve investigated various options, and it just didn’t make good financial sense. But this project and vendor partnership is something the community should really be excited about,” said Andrew Vickers, Oak Creek City Administrator. 

Michael Grab and Tony Debartolo will run the new “Abendschein Biergarten” and are investing $200,000 to build the attraction. The two run beer gardens in parks in Kenosha (Petrifying Springs Biergarten) and Bristol (Hansen Park Beer Garden). 

“It’s all about creating a local, vibrant hub in Oak Creek. I live here, and in the past, if I wanted to take my family and go to a park with a beer garden, I had to leave Oak Creek. And I thought; we really need that social outlet here in Oak Creek,” said Grab. 

“We help build up communities. Our beer gardens are for families. You go and you see kids running around and playing, and mom and dad talking and laughing. No one is on their cell phones. They’re out enjoying nature, they’re getting rooted in their community. It’s a safe, fun, entertaining environment, and that’s what we want to bring to Oak Creek,” said Debartolo.

Grab and Debartolo showed the Common Council a video of what’s coming and shared renderings of the open-air structure they plan to operate. In addition to selling beer, they’ll also offer food, live music, and bocce ball courts. 

“We’ve been hosting summer beer gardens at Drexel Town Square, and they’ve been really popular, so we knew the interest was there. We just needed to find a partner. And this is worth the wait. It’s not a place where you sit around for hours drinking and listening to loud music; it’s for families. And it’s a wonderful addition to the city,” said Dan Bukiewicz, Oak Creek Mayor. 

The partnership with Grab and Debartolo also includes a revenue-sharing agreement. “The city will get 15% of the net sales at the beer garden. We are conservatively estimating that this will generate $40,000 to $60,000 a year. But really, the sky’s the limit what the venue can be,” said Vickers. 

The goal is to have the structure built and the beer garden ready for next summer. It also means “pop-up” beer gardens in Drexel Town Square will be discontinued in the summer of 2026, giving the City’s Marketing and Public Relations Department an opportunity to create several new, fun, family-friendly events in its place. 

After the vote, Mayor Bukiewicz said, “I’m incredibly proud of this partnership, it’s a great opportunity and a perfect addition to our community.”

For media inquiries, please contact:
Marcia Wayer
Director of Marketing & PR
City of Oak Creek
Phone: 414-766-7056
Email: mwayer@oakcreekwi.gov