New group takes over former Black Swan wedding venue, offering to honor old bookings
Black Swan was ordered to vacate from its Third Ward wedding venue known as Plant No. 4 in December 2024, but customers only found out in March — leaving dozens of couples scrambling to save their wedding plans.
On May 23, 41Fork announced on its Facebook page that it signed a lease for the venue and is offering a 30-day window for former clients to reclaim their reservations.
Online court records show that the owners of the Plant No. 4 property sued to evict Black Swan MKE in November and that the eviction was granted in December.
In April, the property owners filed a separate lawsuit against Black Swan seeking more than $238,000 in unpaid rent, maintenance costs, and storage fees, alleging the venue failed to meet its obligations under the lease, according to court records.
Although Black Swan's owner acknowledged receipt of the lawsuit in late April, no formal response had been filed by the May 19 deadline, according to court records.
Black Swan is also being sued by the Wisconsin Department of Revenue for more than $7,000 in unpaid sales tax, court records show.
The company was run by father and son duo Peter and Stephen Sheperd, who have not responded to requests for comment.
41Fork is a collective of hospitality brands offering catering services, mobile bars and event venues. The group also operates at the following Milwaukee locations:
Noble Catering and Events, a catering company located at 400 E. Wisconsin Ave., Suite 102
Vault, a cocktail lounge located at 111 E. Kilbourn Ave., Suite 210
River Center Market, a food hall located at 111 E Kilbourn Ave., Suite 110
Until June 20, the company is inviting former Plant No. 4 clients who had previously booked events to reinstate their reservations.
41Fork said it will honor any payments those customers made to Black Swan, with the understanding that clients will be required to use NEAT, 41Fork's in-house bar service.
Owner Kaelyn Cervero said 41Fork will not book new clients until June 23 to honor the former contracts and avoid double bookings.
Affected clients can contact 41Fork by email at events@41fork.com, or through the contact form on its website.
Multiple consumers who filed complaints with the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection have received refunds from Black Swan, according to department spokesperson Caleb Kulich.
One of them was Brooke Moder, who paid a $6,025 deposit in July in hopes of having her wedding hosted by Black Swan.
Moder filed a complaint with the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection on March 21. The agency said on April 4 that Black Swan had agreed to issue a refund. Moder received a check for the full amount three days later.
Moder noted the check appeared to come from the wife of Black Swan's owner, which she called "a bit odd."
Quinn Clark is a Public Investigator reporter for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. She can be emailed at QClark@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee's 41Fork takes over former Black Swan wedding venue
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