When Tony Frank’s, the neighborhood tap at the corner of Seminole Highway and Warwick Way at the edge of Nakoma, closed at the end of June, it was a shock. After all, the tavern had been in business since 1929. It had been in the same family, although under various relatives’ ownership, the entire time.
A frequent mention in “best burger” polls both formal and informal, Tony Frank’s closed due to financial problems brought on in part by road construction in the area over the past few years, according to a report in the Wisconsin State Journal in June.
Now, Mark Franklin and his brother, Mike, are on the verge of purchasing the west-side landmark.
Mark Franklin says that he and his brother were looking at buying the tavern earlier in the year, but “could not come to a solid agreement.” Then, at the end of August, things fell into place, and they hope to close on the property this coming Wednesday.
The Franklins also own three other area bar-restaurants: the Draft House in Verona, the Paoli Pub & Grill in Paoli and Murphy’s Bar & Restaurant on Hwy. 113 in Westport.
“We want to keep it a neighborhood bar,” says Mark Franklin. “The plan is to do a thorough update on the exterior, but inside — not a lot of changes. We will keep the character.”
Franklin says that in addition to a top-to-bottom cleaning and work on the floors, they plan to go for new furniture, add some equipment in the kitchen and expand the tap beer offerings.
“We will keep the menu similar,” says Franklin. “We want to keep a great burger and fries.”
Franklin underlines that there won’t be a lot of “crazy updates.” The important thing to him is to keep the tavern “open and keep it iconic. People were so sad to see it go.”
Neighborhood taps are traditions in Madison, but the number is dwindling.
The Avenue Bar on East Washington Avenue, for instance, long owned by the Zach family, was sold in 2011 to the Food Fight group of restaurants. While initial plans were to keep the Avenue largely as it was, this summer saw a revamp of the business, now renamed the Avenue Club and Bubble Up Bar. The Tip Top, once a classic working-class tap at North and Commercial, got a 21st-century redo in 2014, combining the traditional decor with new craft cocktails and food.
Tony Frank’s, located in an old farmhouse, had the air of a rural Wisconsin tap. The original room divisions of the house were still discernable.
There will be a new name for the business, says Franklin, although exactly what has not yet been decided. New furniture has to be ordered, an old fuel tank out back has to be removed, and the alcohol license needs to be applied for. But Franklin feels he has a good track record with his other businesses. His goal is to be open by Dec. 1, but don’t expect fanfare.
“We won’t open until we’re ready,” says Franklin. “One day, we’ll just announce [on social media] ‘Hey, we’re open.’”
