July 14, 2025 8:15p
(WGTD)---A Kenosha man with a longtime goal of opening a small venue for touring musicians is one-step closer to securing a hard-to-get beer and liquor license in Kenosha.
The city's Licenses and Permits Committee recommended Monday that Christopher Saldana be awarded a license over several other applicants. Saldana has plans to open his "Sound Bar Musick Cafe" in a vacant space just south of the Kenosha Public Museum.
The establishment will feature acoustic music of various genres on one side of the building with a cafe on the other, offering beverages and a limited food menu. Some grocery items are expected to be included for the benefit of boaters.
The venue is patterned after a place in Appleton.
Saldana told the committee that he wants to share part of the profits with the Kenosha Conservancy of Music to benefit students that come from financially-challenged families.
The committee vote to recommend a license for the "Sound Bar Music Cafe" was unanimous. In doing so, the panel rejected requests from an Uptown banquet hall, a tavern and First Watch Restaurants. The committee learned that both the banquet hall and tavern have legal ways of serving some forms of alcoholic beverages while the new breakfast and lunch restaurant that's earmarked for Southport Plaza expects to have just a small percentage of its sales in alcohol.
The full council will vote on the committee recommendation later this month.
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