New Upscale Restaurant Planned Near Northridge Lake

6800 W. Brown Deer Rd. Image from City of Milwaukee land management system.

A new restaurant proposed for a strip mall near Northridge Lake plans to bring an upscale dining experience featuring a diverse, all-organic menu to one of Milwaukee’s northernmost neighborhoods.

The restaurant, Upscale Galleria, would also serve as an event space and site for serving and bartending classes, as well as a hub for community improvement initiatives.

It’s slated to open at 6800 W. Brown Deer Rd., inside a retail building that also houses Perkinz Boyz on Tha Grill, a soul food restaurant, as well as several other businesses.

Heading up the multi-faceted project is Ebony Walker, whose entrepreneurial spark ignited at age 8 when she got her first job helping out at her mom’s resale store. Since then, her career has included working in a leadership position at a childcare center and in human resources for a nonprofit.

The latter is where she discovered a passion for helping people launch small businesses of their own.

“I’m a well-rounded individual,” Walker said, adding that her principal goal is to “help our community in a reality-based way.”

In preparation for an expected June 1 opening, Walker is collaborating with several unnamed chefs to create an all-organic menu featuring farm-to-table ingredients that she anticipates will be on par with a five-star dining experience.

Walker said that the restaurant will offer a wide variety of global cuisines, thanks to the diverse backgrounds of its full-time chefs, as well as guest appearances from local culinary arts students, who are invited to feature their signature dish for a day while gaining real-life experience in a restaurant kitchen.

“We’ll be there to help them support them, and maybe they may be teaching us something,” Walker said.

When it comes to decor, Walker said she envisions a rustic yet polished and luxurious space. Low music — likely jazz — will set the tone for the 70-seat dining room.

The restaurant will also prioritize customer experience — with an emphasis on greeting guests and creating a welcoming environment.

“I believe a lot of restaurants have lost the actual touch of the five-star experience,” she said, noting small — yet meaningful — actions such as opening the door for customers and making pleasant conversation. “I believe it’s a good time to bring that back.”

In turn, Walker expects proper etiquette from guests, who will be required to abide by a code of ethics and — at certain times — a specific dress code, while visiting the restaurant.

“It sets that tone,” said Walker, adding that intent is to attract a mature crowd that is consistent with the relaxed and upscale ambiance of the restaurant.

Walker is aware that the code of ethics, a new concept for the Milwaukee area, may cause a slow start for the restaurant. But that doesn’t bother her. “I believe in starting right, starting consistent and making sure that our house policies are understood,” she said.

Upscale Galleria is just the start of Walker’s plans for the neighborhood. One upcoming project is a coordinated cleanup of Northridge Lake, located just west of the upcoming restaurant. The lake is located east of the former Northridge Mall.

The business would eventually host community programming such as book clubs, business seminars, networking events and gardening classes.

“To tell you about myself, boy, it’s a story,” Walker said. “I am who I am today because of my past. I come with a strong force and I’m confident that these things that I have been thinking in my mind — it’s time to execute them and not be afraid to speak about how our environments should be.”

A liquor license application, currently pending before the Common Council, lists Curtis L. Butler as a partner in the business.