May 12, 2026 – West Bend, WI – A new neighborhood bar and restaurant is taking shape on South Main Street in West Bend, Wi, as partners behind Whiskey on the Water say they hope to create a welcoming destination filled with comfort food, Wisconsin whiskey, and a lively hometown atmosphere.
“We want to be the neighborhood bar and grill,” said Doni Lumani, one of the partners behind the project. “That’s our mission. We want to cater to West Bend.”
Lumani, who was born and raised in Fort Atkinson, is part of a restaurant group with decades of combined experience in the hospitality industry. The group includes ties to well-known establishments such as Tavern on the Rock, Lucky’s Saloon, Whiskey Ranch in Janesville and Delevan, and Happy Tap.
Between the partners, Lumani said they bring “over 50 to 60 years of restaurant experience” into the new venture.
The restaurant, Whiskey on the Water, is currently under construction inside the former bar space on South Main Street, most recently known as Shottz. Lumani said the team essentially started from scratch.
“We went into the building pretty much restarted with just four walls,” he said. “We’re going to add our own flavor and our own taste to it.”
Construction crews are currently busy inside the building with HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and framing work underway. Lumani said the opening is tentatively planned for sometime between mid-August and early September.
“We didn’t want to underprepare,” he said. “With construction and delays and such, we wanted to give ourselves the appropriate timeline.”
The name Whiskey on the Water was inspired, in part, by the nearby riverfront setting.
“We always wanted to open up a whiskey-type bar,” Lumani said. “That doesn’t mean we’re going to limit ourselves to just whiskey, but we loved the flow of ‘Whiskey on the Water.’”
Inside, the restaurant will feature a rustic theme mixed with modern comfort. Lumani described plans for a warm, welcoming atmosphere with high-top seating, booth seating, a large bar area, and a garage-style door that will open during warmer months.
“We’re going to have a lot of fun décor in there,” he said. “Our theme is going to be rustic with a little bit of modern-day comfortability.”
Outdoor seating will also be an option.
The menu will focus on approachable comfort food with an elevated touch. Customers can expect burgers, wraps, salads, appetizers, entrees, and whiskey-inspired flavors incorporated into dishes.
“There will definitely be whiskey in the menu,” Lumani said, mentioning possibilities like bourbon glazes and specialty dishes. “We’re going to be known for our burgers, wraps, salads, all that good stuff.”
The bar itself will showcase an extensive whiskey and bourbon selection.
“We’re going to focus a lot on Wisconsin distilled whiskeys and bourbons,” he said, mentioning Wollersheim Winery & Distillery as one recognizable name among the brands they hope to feature.
When complete, Whiskey on the Water is expected to employ between 20 and 30 people. The establishment plans to serve both lunch and dinner crowds while also positioning itself as a go-to gathering spot for sporting events.
“We’re going to have a great place to watch the Packers, the Brewers, the Badgers, the Bucks,” Lumani said. “Great comfort food, great bar atmosphere.”
Right now, the space still resembles an active construction zone with concrete floors and unfinished framing, but Lumani said the vision is quickly coming together.
On a side note:
The location, 271 S. Main Street, was previously home to Schottz, an establishment run January 1, 2020 – 2022 by Daniel Schottz. The property is owned by Chad Goeman. He also owns Saloon Royale, 243 N. Main Street in West Bend, WI, and Collin’s Deck Bar, 131 S. Main Street in West Bend, Wi.
The S. Main Street location has been home to quite a few businesses including Neuy’s Tap which featured ‘color TV’ on it’s streetside sign.
-If you want to check out Lumani’s other restaurant, click HERE for the menu at Whiskey Ranch in Janesville.
