Brunch-Focused Cafe Coming To Villard Avenue

Site of future Brunch All Day Cafe, 3428 W. Villard Ave. Photo by Jeramey Jannene.

The owner of Mi Casa Su Cafe is poised to expand his business portfolio, with plans to open a new restaurant, Brunch All Day Cafe, in Old North Milwaukee.

The upcoming restaurant is expected to open in mid-August at 3428 W. Villard Ave., serving all-day breakfast, lunch wraps, smoothies, coffee and more.

Owner Paul Whigham said he drew inspiration for the concept based on customer habits and requests. “I know that there’s a large number of people that like to eat breakfast in the afternoon, or sometimes in the evening,” he said. “So I’m hoping for a great turnout.”

The address was previously the site of Golden Chicken and Seafood., which closed amid the pandemic. Whigham moved into the building shortly after, and has spent the past several years renovating the interior.

“It needed a little makeover,” said Whigham, who noted that the previous occupant left the building mostly unchanged throughout its three decades in business.

The upgraded space is modernized and features new tile, paint and several TVs to entertain guests as they wait on to-go orders.

Something that didn’t change, according to Whigham, was the kitchen equipment. “I didn’t want to change too much of the appliances,” he said, noting that his menu was built around the kitchen’s deep fryer, grill and pizza oven.

When Brunch All Day Cafe opens later this summer, guests can expect several varieties of breakfast burritos — a popular menu item at Mi Casa Su Cafe — as well as toasted breakfast sandwiches, chicken and waffles, wraps and savory flatbreads.

To drink, the cafe will offer drip coffee, fruit smoothies and bottled beverages.

Brunch All Day Cafe will operate as a takeout-focused restaurant, and will not serve alcohol.

After the new cafe finds its footing, Whigham said he hopes to expand into the neighboring building, 3422-3424 W. Villard Ave., opening a waiting room and seating area to accommodate up to 25 guests.

Whigham, a longtime industry veteran, opened Mi Casa Su Cafe in 2017 with co-owner Daniel Trotter. Whigham is now sole owner of the Bronzeville establishment. He initially planned to open Brunch All Day in 2021, but told Urban Milwaukee he had to put those plans “on the back burner” to sort out staffing shortages at Mi Casa Su Cafe.

Once open, Brunch All Day Cafe plans to operate daily from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.

The street in front of the cafe could soon look dramatically different. The city won a $14 million federal grant last week to reconstruct and redesign it.