Hmong Market Planned For Northwest Side

A new “Oriental Market” would cater to Milwaukee’s Hmong and broader Asian communities, but the owners hope all Milwaukeeans visit.

The market would occupy two retail stalls, 6500-6510 N. 76th St., in a strip mall just north of W. Mill Rd. Husband-and-wife team Mong Theng Yang and Bai Lor are behind the plan.

“Our goal for the spaces is to provide patrons with an honest and customer-focused grocery experience,” said Lor to members of the Granville Advisory Committee Wednesday morning. “We will be doing a commercial kitchen to provide hot food as well.”

Lor and Theng Yang said the market is well-suited to serve the growing Hmong community that lives in the surrounding residential neighborhoods. They intend to be at the market seven days a week.

“We want to provide a place, a store, a market where everyone can come and come feel safe, with friendly service,” said Lor.

“I am really excited,” said area Alderwoman Chantia Lewis.

Lewis said the couple’s plans were well-timed given the issues facing 5XEN Super Asian Market, located just south of W. Mill Rd. A $20 million expansion was announced in 2020, but now the marketplace faces property tax foreclosure, a mortgage foreclosure and a criminal investigation into an executive running a Ponzi scheme.

According to the city’s online record system, no permit requests have been filed for the business yet. The larger space, 6500 N. 76th, was most recently the Silver Star clothing store and the smaller stall, at 6510, last was occupied by a furniture store. Combined the new market would cover approximately 10,600 square feet.

“I was trying to move them a little bit further to Brown Deer Road, but I get it they are right there in the Hmong community. But rest assured this is location number one,” said Lewis, who has championed redeveloping the area around the former Northridge Mall. “This is going to be a huge investment, so I am really excited about that.”

The business would be located just south of a former shopping center being redeveloped into a modern home for Evolve Church.

The advisory committee unanimously voted to support the market proposal.

The couple, according to city assessment records, owns 12 residential properties throughout the city.

With much of Milwaukee’s grocery market dominated by national chains, a growing number of ethnically-focused stores are popping up. A new Polish market recently opened on the city’s South Side.