Chinese Seafood Buffet to Replace Former Applebee’s
Madison restaurateur will open Hong Kong Seafood Buffet at southern edge of Bay View.
Site of former Applebee’s, 270 W. Holt Ave. Photo taken July 19, 2023 by Alison Peterson.
Milwaukee’s southside location for Applebee’s Grill & Bar may have closed, but residents may soon be “eatin’ good in the neighborhood,” if at an entirely different restaurant.
The sole Milwaukee location for Applebee’s, the American chain restaurant, shuttered in 2020 amid the earliest days of the COVID-19 pandemic. But a new restaurant, Hong Kong Seafood Buffet, is proposed at the address, 270 W. Holt Ave., with plans to open this fall.
The upcoming restaurant will be the first Milwaukee location for Ting Cai Zhou, a chef and entrepreneur who cut his teeth in New York before relocating to Madison, where he opened five restaurants. Three of those — Delicacies of Asia, Ragin Cajun and Hot Pot 608 — remain open.
Zhou, who speaks Chinese, told Urban Milwaukee through interpreter Jan Lin Tetzner that he plans to serve a variety of traditional Chinese dishes at the buffet, with a particular emphasis on seafood including king crab legs, snow crab, shrimp and more.
The sit-down restaurant, located at the southernmost edge of Bay View, will serve both lunch and dinner. With nearby workers in mind, Zhou will strive to keep lunch prices on the affordable side. Dinner will be a little pricier, according to Tetzner, but will come with a wider variety of seafood offerings.
Similar to Zhou’s previous concepts, Hong Kong Seafood Buffet will follow an all-you-can-eat model, ensuring that customers leave full and satisfied after each meal.
According to a license application, Ron San Felippo of 3 Bridges Development owns the 4,850-square-foot building that will house Hong Kong Seafood Buffet. The restaurant’s five-year lease at the address began on June 1.
The 2006 building is situated at the edge of a parking lot, which it shares with Home Depot, Pick ‘n Save, Taco Bell and a number of smaller businesses.
A license application notes plans for construction to the building, though there are no commercial alteration permits on file for the address. Construction is slated to be completed in September, with a prospective opening date set for early October.
A liquor license for the business is pending approval from the Milwaukee Common Council.
Once open, the operating hours for Hong Kong Seafood Buffet will be Monday through Thursday from 10:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., Friday through Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., according to the license application.
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