First, the COVID-19 pandemic. Then, the flooding that devastated parts of the Milwaukee area in early August. It’s been a challenge, to say the least, for popular Bay View bar The Mothership since it opened its doors in 2019.

The bar, known for its quirky edge, reopened on Nov. 11 following a three-month closure due to extensive flood damage.

“It was bonkers. We ordered a normal week’s worth of inventory and completely sold out,” The Mothership owner Ricky Ramirez says of the response from patrons to the reopening. “People were really excited to get in here.”

Despite facing an array of challenges, The Mothership, on 2301 S. Logan Ave., has developed a loyal following since replacing Urban Bay View.

But the flooding came close to dealing a fatal blow, with reopening seeming to be a

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