Burkel’s Sports Bar & Grill to reopen under new name

Rich Palzewic

Staff

August 10, 2026

ASHWAUBENON – What looked like the end for Burkel’s Sports Bar & Grill has become a new beginning.

After months of uncertainty, the sports bar and grill located at 1007 Tony Canadeo Run in Ashwaubenon, is relaunching under a new, yet-to-be-announced name.

Owner Kevin Burkel said the rebrand comes after the sale of Burkel’s – which originally opened in 2013 – fell through earlier this summer.

“We signed the contract to sell last October,” he said. “We were approached to sell, and I just thought the timing was right – I’m 62.”

For a time, Kevin said it appeared Burkel’s final chapter had arrived.

When Burkel’s officially closed Jan. 30, Kevin said the establishment’s extensive collection of Packers memorabilia, including jerseys and helmets accumulated over the years, was sold. 

“There were 550 pieces of memorabilia,” he said. “Deciding to close Jan. 30, I wanted to make time for the auction, clean everything up and move on. After the first closing date fell through, it was rescheduled to April 30. I was under the impression that it was all done.”

Rescheduling the closing date three more times, Kevin said the sale of Burkel’s was officially called off, and the building was placed back in his hands in mid-July.

“Even the tables were sold,” General Manager Emily Burkel said. “We [have since] bought all new tables and chairs.”

When Burkel’s closed, Emily said she took a job at neighboring Stadium View, but now with Burkel’s reopening – again, under a new name – she’ll be back in her old stomping grounds greeting guests “just like old times.”

“I’m excited for the next chapter,” she said. “It’s been quite the emotional ride the last several months.”

Work to be done

Once the sale was null and void, Kevin said he took the opportunity to give the inside and outside of the building a facelift.

“We painted the whole building inside and out and put in new flooring,” he said. “I was outside painting the building myself. We also put in a new driveway and added new kitchen equipment. I have put a lot of money back into the place.”

New offerings

Though Kevin said he really “didn’t have a choice but to reopen,” he is excited about the changes they have made and what the reimagined space looks like.

“I’m anticipating opening sometime between Aug. 10-17,” he said. “I want to make sure the driveway is all done before opening back up. I’d hate to open and then have to close for three days to complete that – we’re doing it all at once.”

A silver lining, Kevin said, was the opportunity to rethink the business.

Once the original sale fell through, he said he began reimagining what the bar and grill could offer and how it would be defined moving forward.

“What we’re doing this time is completely different from what we were as far as venues go,” he said. “We’ll be getting more into catering, funeral lunches, weddings, banquets, etc. We’ll also add brunches on Saturdays and Sundays. There is going to be a lot of diversity in what we do.”

While Burkel’s is getting a fresh identity, Kevin said it will still bring the same energy on Packers game days, with the establishment expected to be “rocking” when Green Bay takes the field.

“I just put in eight 85-inch, brand-new TVs all the way around and put in two walkout doors out to the front of the patio,” he said. “Last year, some high-top tables were added on the patio. A good way to describe the space is that it’s going to be a lot more diversified than just sports. With both home and away Packers games, we will still be focusing on those – that won’t change.”

Emily said the refreshed space will feature more live music and entertainment while keeping the food, drinks and atmosphere that have defined Burkel’s. 

“It’s just completely revamped with lots of new friendly faces,” she said. “We can’t wait to welcome everyone back and show you everything we’ve been working on. Whether you’re looking to bartend, serve, cook, manage in the back of house, dishwash for home game weekends, do food runs for home game weekends or join our team in any way, we are hiring for a lot of positions.”

As for the Packers memorabilia that has come and gone, Kevin said he’s not going to focus on refilling the walls.

“There might be a few things, but it’s going to be a lot more streamlined compared to what it was before,” he said. “Looking back, I think there was simply too much stuff in here. I think it looks so much better with everything gone and repainted. I think there will be a lot of head spinning when people see the new space.”

To check on Burkel’s reopening under a new name, Emily said people should head to Facebook for updates.

The Business News will be sure to check in with the Burkels when that day comes.