Franklin’s longtime pizza corner at 8330 W. Puetz Road is getting a second act. Tail Spin Pub & Pizza is moving into the former Michaelangelo’s Pizza space, bringing a revamped pizza lineup and a full bar to a spot locals know by heart.
Owner and manager Jennifer Halverson plans to flip on the neon early: bar service is scheduled to start March 1 at 10:00 a.m., with pizza service rolling out shortly after. Michaelangelo’s, a neighborhood staple for decades, closed in June 2024 following the death of owner Dennis Rau.
New Owners, New Recipes
Halverson, listed as the agent for Tail Spin LLC, told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that the Franklin location will skip Michaelangelo’s old recipes and instead create its own signature pies. So anyone hoping for a carbon copy of the former menu should expect something different, not a reboot.
She also described Mondays as “community day,” when an all-you-can-eat pasta special will raise money for a local organization, sports team, or family. According to the Journal Sentinel report, the game plan is a cozy neighborhood bar feel paired with a working pizza kitchen, the kind of setup that tries to lure both regulars and hungry carryout traffic.
City Records Show License Approval
City of Franklin meeting minutes from January confirm that the Common Council approved a Class B Combination liquor license for Tail Spin LLC, doing business as Tail Spin Pub & Pizza, with Halverson named as agent. The record shows licensing wrapped up ahead of the planned opening and ties the license to the Puetz Road address, providing an official public stamp on the change in ownership and use of the space.
Tail Spin’s Footprint Around the Suburbs
The Franklin pub will not be Tail Spin’s first swing at the neighborhood bar concept. The brand already runs similar spots around the suburbs, including a Tail Spin Bar & Grill in Muskego and a Tail Spin location in New Berlin. That track record suggests Franklin will follow the same small-chain, community-bar formula, with management planning to lean on happy hours and weeknight specials to build a steady crowd of regulars.
Michaelangelo’s Legacy and a New Chapter
Michaelangelo’s had been a Franklin fixture since 1981 under owner Dennis Rau, who ran the pizzeria for decades before his death in June 2024, as reported by the Journal Sentinel. The restaurant’s closure last summer left the Puetz Road corner dark, and for many longtime customers, Tail Spin’s arrival marks a clear turning of the page for a familiar address…