Southern Restaurant Will Open in Base of Huron Building

Tupelo Honey Southern Kitchen & Bar will open in the first floor of the Huron Building at 511 N. Broadway.

The restaurant will occupy approximately 5,000 square feet in the base of the 11-story building. Law firm Husch Blackwell will serve as the anchor tenant in the building’s upper floors. The building is currently under construction at the northwest corner of the intersection of N. Broadway and E. Clybourn St.

“Tupelo Honey is a revival of Southern food and traditions rooted in the Carolina Mountains we call home,” says the restaurant’s website. Founded in Asheville, NC in 2000, the Milwaukee restaurant would be the restaurant’s 18th location. A press release announcing the deal says it is “scheduled to open in late 2020/early 2021.”

The menu is focused on scratch-made food and cocktails. The restaurant will serve brunch, lunch and dinner. An outdoor patio is planned.

“Tupelo Honey executives looked at various sites in the area, but they decided to be in the Huron Building because the location is becoming one of the most vibrant areas of Downtown Milwaukee,” said developer Joshua Jeffers in a statement. “Visitors, tenants, workers and residents alike will be excited to have a quality dining option in this new building.”

“We are excited to bring a bit of Southern hospitality to the Milwaukee area,” said Stephen D. Frabitore, CEO and owner of Tupelo Honey. “The area where our new restaurant will be is a prime location. It’s at the entrance to the Historic Third Ward and directly across from the Milwaukee Public Market with easy access to The Hop streetcar.”

The restaurant will occupy a strategically important location for the city. A tax incremental financing district leveraging property tax revenue from the new building is being used to fund connectivity improvements between the Historic Third Ward and East Town. Projects include streetscaping improvements on Broadway and lighting under the elevated freeway. The restaurant could further encourage pedestrian activity in the corridor.

“The streetscaping design and the architecture of the Huron Building combine to generate a unique urban experience that will welcome pedestrians and diners,” said Jeffers. “We’re excited about this great addition to our growing tenant roster.”

J. Jeffers & Co. held a groundbreaking for the project in May 2019. The building is scheduled to open this summer.

Husch Blackwell is leasing 71,000 square feet for 180 employees in the building. Jeffers told Urban Milwaukee that the firm is “very close with several office users,” but did not have any other new tenants to announce.

Bruce Westling of Newmark Knight Frank represented Jeffers on the restaurant deal, and Howard Zoldessy of Hatcher-Hill Brokerage was the broker for Tupelo Honey. Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL) is managing the leasing of the office portion.

For more on the project, including how the stone in the facade will match the nearby Mackie Building, see our coverage from February 21st.

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Balcony Renderings

January 2019 Renderings