Engine Company No 3

What Engine Company No 3 does

Engine Company No. 3 operates an exclusive private event venue in a renovated historic Cream City brick firehouse located at 217 W National Ave in Milwaukee's Walker's Point neighborhood. As of January 1, 2024, the business transitioned from a full-service restaurant offering brunch and tapas to an event-space-only operation. The venue comprises two floors with full bars (first floor seats 50, second floor seats 90), plus a west patio, yielding a total indoor capacity of 140 guests. The second floor is accessible via stairs only. The physical asset — a piece of Milwaukee history — is the central product, marketed as a one-of-a-kind backdrop for weddings, corporate events, rehearsal dinners, holiday parties, and personal milestone celebrations.

The venue's core products are (1) full-building private event rental and (2) the La Merenda farm-to-table tapas menu served at events. Catering is supplied by sister establishment La Merenda, which sources from a curated network of 23 named local Wisconsin farms and purveyors. Underlying technology consists of off-the-shelf SaaS: Tripleseat for private event booking and inquiry management, and Toast Tab for online takeout ordering (operational 8am-12pm). There is no proprietary technology, app, or platform; the asset is fundamentally a physical space plus curated food and beverage service.

The business model is a single-revenue-stream private venue rental operation with inquiry-based pricing — no public rates are disclosed, and prospective clients receive automated pricing outlines upon form submission. The go-to-market motion is event-driven and inquiry-based via the website and [email protected] email, supported by organic Instagram content and an email newsletter signup. The business employs 21 people, services the Milwaukee regional market exclusively, and has no disclosed funding, parent company, or institutional investors. Customer segments are horizontal across use cases (weddings as primary; corporate, personal, and holiday events as secondary), with no named enterprise customers or recurring contract base.

Name

Engine Company No 3

Legal name

Engine Company No. 3

Website

https://enginecompany3.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Engine Company No. 3 operates an exclusive private event venue in a renovated historic Cream City brick firehouse in Milwaukee's Walker's Point, serving weddings, corporate events, and personal celebrations with La Merenda farm-to-table catering sourced from 23 local Wisconsin farms.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Event Venue Services

NAICS

Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (722410)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Catering Coordination & Bar Service Management (Non-restaurant) (HSACAAAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Nightclub & Small Live Venue Operations (Clubs, Bars with Stages) (MPAGALAF)

Keywords

• Private event venue
• Event space rental
• Farm-to-table catering
• Wedding venue
• Corporate event hosting

Headquarters

HQ city

Milwaukee

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Private Event Venue Rental: Engine Company No. 3 operates exclusively as a private event venue (as of January 1st, 2024). Revenue is generated through rental of the entire historic Cream City brick firehouse building, including both floors and patio space. Evening events include full venue access with two floors featuring full bars. Pricing is provided upon inquiry via automated reply.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Engine Company No. 3 operates as an exclusively private event venue housed in a renovated historic Cream City brick firehouse in Milwaukee's Walker's Point neighborhood. Each booking rents the entire building for evening events, providing two floors with full bars (50-seat first floor and 90-seat second floor), a patio, and a 140-guest indoor capacity. Catering is supplied by partner La Merenda's seasonal farm-to-table menu, with ingredients sourced from 23 named Wisconsin family farms and purveyors.

Product overview

Engine Company No. 3 operates as an exclusive private event venue in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, offering two distinct but complementary offerings: (1) Engine Company No. 3 Event Venue — a historic firehouse space for weddings, corporate events, and celebrations with full venue rental including two floors, bars, and a patio (capacity 140 guests); and (2) La Merenda Farm-to-Table Menu — the seasonal tapas menu served at events, featuring locally sourced, farm-to-table ingredients.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Engine Company No. 3 Private Event Venue Rental Exclusive private event venue rental of a renovated historic Cream City brick firehouse in Milwaukee's Walker's Point neighborhood. Each booking rents the entire building for evening events, providing two floors with full bars, a west patio, and in-house AV amenities (Wi-Fi, HDMI projector and screen, wireless microphone). Serves couples, families, and businesses hosting weddings, rehearsal dinners, corporate events, holiday parties, and personal milestone celebrations.
• La Merenda Farm-to-Table Event Catering Seasonal farm-to-table catering menu served during private events at Engine Company No. 3, provided in partnership with La Merenda restaurant. Features family-style tapas dinners and cocktail-style party options using locally sourced ingredients from 23 named Wisconsin family farms and purveyors including Amy's Acres, Brightonwoods Orchard, Carr Valley, Clock Shadow Creamery, LaClare Farm, Sartori, and others. For event clients booking the Engine Company No. 3 venue.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• La MerendacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLa Merenda is a related restaurant that provides the seasonal, farm-to-table menu for events at Engine Company No. 3. The venue serves La Merenda's menu featuring family style tapas dinners and cocktail style parties. Both establishments share the commitment to local, seasonal ingredients from the same network of 23 regional farms.
• Local Farm Network (23 farms)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEngine Company No. 3 maintains committed relationships with 23 local farms and purveyors for sourcing ingredients. Named partners include Amy’s Acres, Brightonwoods Orchard, Carr Valley, Clock Shadow Creamery, Concord Honey, Hill Valley Dairy, Holland Family Farm, Igl Farms, Jeff-Leen, LaClare Farm, Maple Creek Farm, Maple Valley Co-Op, Pinehold Gardens, River Valley Ranch, Rushing Waters, Sartori, Sassy Cow, Sauvé Terre, Simon’s Gardens, Springdale Farm, Three Brothers Farm, Turtle Creek Gardens, Uplands Dairy, Wautoma Family Farms, and Wisconsin Meadows.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Mitchell Park Horticultural Conservatory (The Domes): Iconic Milwaukee venue hosting private weddings, corporate events, and galas. Comparable as a Milwaukee landmark venue used for full-facility private buyouts with bar service, though operated by a public entity rather than an independent operator.
• The Pritzlaff Building: Historic Milwaukee event venue offering full-building private rentals for weddings, corporate events, and galas. Directly comparable to Engine Company No. 3 in operating model (historic adaptive reuse, full buyout, in-house bar and catering) and target customer (Milwaukee-area event planners and brides).
• Turner Hall Ballroom: Historic Milwaukee event and live-music venue available for private rentals. Comparable on Milwaukee heritage venue positioning, large-capacity event hosting, and bar-driven event packages, though with more live-music programming than Engine Company No. 3.
• Best Place at the Historic Pabst Brewery: Milwaukee event venue located in the historic Pabst Brewery complex, hosting weddings, corporate events, and private celebrations. Closely comparable to Engine Company No. 3 on historic character, full-venue rental, bar service, and local event clientele.

Others

• Bartolotta Catering & Events: Long-established Milwaukee-area catering and events operator providing food and bar service for off-premise weddings and corporate functions. Comparable on the farm-to-table/fine-dining angle and as a likely competitor or substitute for the catering arm of Engine Company No. 3, though it does not operate a destination venue itself.
• La Merenda: Milwaukee tapas restaurant described as a related entity that supplies Engine Company No. 3's farm-to-table catering menu. Comparable as a sibling brand sharing the same 23-farm sourcing network and overlapping event clientele, though primarily a destination restaurant rather than a venue.

Broad incumbents

• The Pfister Hotel: Historic full-service Milwaukee hotel with extensive ballrooms, meeting space, and event catering. Comparable on luxury Milwaukee event hosting and full bar service, but operates as part of a broader lodging and F&B portfolio rather than as a dedicated private event venue.
• The Iron Horse Hotel: Boutique Milwaukee hotel with distinctive industrial character and on-site event spaces marketed to corporate and wedding clients. Comparable on atmosphere-driven Milwaukee event positioning and bar/catering service, but anchored by lodging revenue rather than pure venue rental.
• Hilton Milwaukee City Center: Large convention-grade Milwaukee hotel with significant ballroom and meeting venue capacity used for weddings and corporate events. Comparable on bar service and event hosting scale, but is part of a national chain and competes on volume rather than the boutique/character angle.
• Saint Kate – The Arts Hotel: Boutique Milwaukee hotel with multiple event spaces and on-site F&B used for weddings, corporate events, and private celebrations. Comparable on Milwaukee event venue positioning and full-service bar/catering, but as a broader hospitality concept with lodging at the core.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/p/B99Sv6Kn7h5
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/engine-company-no-3

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Engine Company No 3