For over 40 years, RC’s was one of the oldest bars on the East Side and an icon for at least two generations of fun-seekers.
Although it closed in 2018 and its building was demolished four years later, the RC’s legacy lives on in the Schmidt family’s other businesses, including Water Street Brewery, The Brewery, Vagabond, Trinity Three Irish Pubs and The Harp.
The brewery – which was Milwaukee’s first brewpub when it opened in 1987 as Water Street Brewery and was renamed in 2022 – is hosting a celebration next month to mark the 50th anniversary of the opening of RC’s, the bar that started it all for the Schmidt clan.
The party will take place on Saturday, September 28th at 5 p.m. at The Brewery, 1101 N. Water St., where some RC memorabilia has recently been added to the walls in the back of the bar.
There will be special food and drink options, a special menu, classic beers on tap and much more.
There will also be RC merchandise for sale, including hats, t-shirts, matchbooks, soda can coolers and more.
Robert “RC” Schmidt originally opened RC’s in 1974 in a small brick storefront added to the front of an existing house at 1528 E. North Ave. Four years later, Schmidt moved his bar next door to a former laundromat building to the east and demolished the old house to make room for a beer garden.
As I wrote in that story, with the support of Schmidt’s brother Rick, RC’s was a hot club in the 1980s and 1990s and a must-see for any young night owl.
But by the start of the new millennium, things had calmed down. Schmidt’s brother Rick had opened his own restaurant and RC’s attention had turned to other projects, like the Water Street Brewery. And then family member Mike Foy came into the picture.
Foy and his wife ran the establishment for a few years before moving downtown to help open and later manage Trinity Three Irish Pubs (one of which, you’ll notice, bears his last name).
As RC’s popularity on North Avenue waned amid a change in the business landscape, the Schmidt family’s attention turned more to their other businesses, and RC, in Foy’s words, “really took a back seat.”
This was the end of the line for RCs.
But the bar and the memories associated with it remain in many people’s minds and you can expect to see some of those people at the party.
“RC’s was more than just a building,” says Matt Schmidt, RC’s son, who is COO/CEO of the family business. “It was a place that gave people incredible memories. It was the place you went when you wanted to have a good time.”
“RC has brought many people together through lifelong relationships. The anniversary celebration is an opportunity to share old stories and celebrate with former employees and customers.”
So bring memories of your favorite RCs and look forward to seeing some familiar faces.
