Milwaukee aldermen have ordered a Northwest Side tavern to go dark for half a month, citing a pattern of fights and a shooting that police linked to the business but occurred away from its front door. New Entertainers, also known as Regal Begal, will be shut down for 15 days from Feb. 6 through Feb. 20 under a Common Council vote taken this week.
Council committee split over punishment
Before the full council weighed in, the debate over what to do with the bar turned tense at a license renewal hearing. According to committee minutes, Ald. Peter Burgelis moved for a 15-day suspension, and that motion carried on a narrow 3-2 vote. A competing move by Ald. Alex Brower to renew the license with no discipline failed 2-3.
Two patrons showed up to speak in favor of the tavern, but aldermen also walked through police reports that listed fights and a shooting tied to the establishment. The official record notes concerns from council members about potential threats to public safety, according to City of Milwaukee Licenses Committee minutes.
Owner defends operation as council finalizes closure
At the hearing, owner Justin Jackson told aldermen his staff routinely works to disperse crowds at closing time and argued that the January 2025 shooting cited in police reports happened after the bar had closed and some distance from the building. He did not submit written objections to the Licenses Committee’s recommendation.
Without any formal challenge from Jackson, the full Common Council voted to accept the 15-day suspension, which will force New Entertainers to close in early February, according to Urban Milwaukee.
Not the first discipline
This is not the tavern’s first run-in with city regulators. New Entertainers previously received a 15-day suspension in 2024 after a week in which shots were fired at or near the property. During that earlier case, council members concluded that the bar’s police record showed the operation posed a threat to the health, safety or welfare of the public, according to City of Milwaukee Legistar records.
Expansion plans continue amid shutdown
Even with a fresh suspension on his current license, Jackson is still trying to grow his footprint on the Northwest Side. He has applied to open a second spot, Boss’s, at 6180 N. 64th St., with a license that would allow DJs, hookah service, and extended hours if approved…