New restaurateurs taking over former Terri Lynn's

Brown Deer - Terri Lynn's on Bradley is closing March 5, but a new restaurant called Celebrations will open on March 15.

Barry and Kathleen Mimis will lease the building at 4740 W. Bradley Road from owner Lew Anyanwu and plan to operate a banquet hall and lounge, with daily operations Tuesday through Saturday.

"We hope to someday buy the building," Barry Mimis said.

Kathleen Mimis said she currently does wedding and party planning on a part-time basis. She is the dean of students at Concordia University School in Milwaukee while her husband is the director of two business improvement districts in the city.

The couple intends to enhance what is in place at Terri Lynn's, bringing it up a notch.

"We want to keep the more mature adult atmosphere," Kathleen said. "We want people to come at the end of the day, listen to music at a nice level and not have their ears blown out. We want to have an additional nice place the village can be proud of."

"We are going with the 35 and older crowd, no hip hop, rap or head banging music," Barry said.

Kathleen said Theresa Wigley, aka Terri Lynn, is an old friend. Wigley will cater some events at Celebrations, Kathleen said.

There will be daily meal specials, a lounge area and a separate room for billiards. They expect to employ 15 people.

The Mimises plan to improve the parking lot, including striping parking places, add exterior security cameras and do some interior renovations.

Trustee Andrea Weddle-Henning welcomed them.

"I am glad to see there is a transfer and the building is not left there sitting empty," she said.

Trustee Tim Schilz, who said he has gone to Terri Lynn's quite a few times, urged the Mimises to keep regular hours, saying that he had sometimes gone to Terri Lynn's only to find it closed.

The Village Board approved the transfer of the liquor license to the Mimises.