Vietnamese Restaurant Planned for South Side

A new restaurant serving Vietnamese food is coming soon to the south side.

BaoBao Cuisine would be located in the Castle Manor neighborhood, 4624 S. 27th St., and could open within three months, said co-owner Tee Nguyen.

Nguyen and his wife, Tu Tran Nguyen also operate Pho Saigon in West Allis.

BaoBao would be a full service restaurant with a menu similar to Pho Saigon’s, but will include additional options like boba tea, smoothies and sandwiches. Beer and wine would also be served. The owners plan to have the establishment open daily from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Tee Nguyen said the extra time and care he puts into his food is what makes it stand out from other establishments.

“Myself, I come here at 5 a.m. to make the broth by hand,” he said. “That’s one of the biggest differences between us and other restaurants.”

The building, located just north of Layton Avenue, was formerly Chancery Pub & Restaurant, which closed in 2015 after 33 years of service.

The Nguyen’s purchased the 6,755 square-foot building for $560,000, in 2020. They renovated the interior and added a modern gray and dark wood facade. The new restaurant is in a retail center that also contains a Dunkin’, a hotel and a car dealership. The businesses share a lot containing approximately 70 parking spaces.

At one point, the owners were planning to call the restaurant BaoBao Boba Tea, according to construction permits.

A liquor license request is pending before the Common Council.