New Korean-Chinese Restaurant For Third Ward

Fauntleroy, 316 N. Milwaukee St. Photo taken November 9th, 2020 by Mariiana Tzotcheva.

Jongsoo Kim, the prolific restaurateur behind some of Milwaukee’s most notable Asian eateries, is planning to expand his portfolio with a new restaurant in the Historic Third Ward.

Sinabro, serving Chinese and Korean food, is expected to make its debut in mid-February at 316 N. Milwaukee St., the former site of Fool’s Errand. The large restaurant space, housed within the Landmark Building, has been vacant since July 2022.

Kim, a Milwaukee industry veteran, is known for his leadership at Char’d, a modern Korean restaurant, Kanpai Izakaya, a sushi restaurant and Maru, a Korean-style bistro. He also helped open Merge, an East Side destination for Korean fried chicken wings. He will co-own Sinabro with Haneul Kim.

The upcoming restaurant will occupy 4,200 square feet within the building, with plans to offer on-site seating as well as a full bar. According to a license application, the restaurant expects to generate the majority of its revenue, or 90%, from food sales, with the remaining 10% coming from alcohol sales.

As far as menu items, beverage offerings and other details, the owners said it’s too early to share specifics. More information will be available at a later date.

The name Sinabro comes from a Korean word meaning “slowly but surely.” It’s meant to describe gradual changes that are nearly imperceivable if watched closely, such as clouds moving in the sky or a child growing taller. But it’s also symbolic of Milwaukee’s slow-and-steady rise to its status as a dining destination.

Once open, the restaurant’s proposed hours of operation are 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.

Prior to its July 2022 closure, Fool’s Errand operated for just over a year in the Third Ward building under the ownership of Dan Jacobs and Dan Van Rite. The DanDan duo also operated the previous concept, Fauntleroy, at the address. Before that, the building was home to the long-standing Coquette Cafe.