East Side’s Merge Has Closed
The Korean gastropub, specializing in chicken wings and soju, shut down in late July.
Merge, 1932 E. Kenilworth Pl. Photo taken Aug. 12, 2024 by Sophie Bolich.
Merge was a trendy addition to the East Side when it opened in 2018, offering creative cocktails and some of the city’s most authentic Korean street food — all against a backdrop of colorful, street art-inspired decor.
Located at 1932 E. Kenilworth Pl., the bar and restaurant quickly garnered a loyal neighborhood following and successfully navigated the COVID-19 pandemic; however, it has since faded from the scene.
Customers report that Merge operated with irregular hours throughout the spring and summer. Recently, a handwritten note was posted on the restaurant’s front door, announcing its closure.
Building owner Ben Checota confirmed last week that owners Karandeep and Karamdeep Randhawa vacated the building in the final days of July.
Merge originally opened under industry veterans Jongsoo Kim and Choonghoon Lee, who brought a new experience to Milwaukee by specializing in Korean fried chicken wings.
However, after nearly two years, ownership transferred to the Randhawa cousins in August 2020, as noted in a Facebook post announcing the change. The Randhawas did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Founding partners Kim and Lee, both well-versed in Korean cuisine, have ties to a number of Milwaukee establishments including Maru Korean Bistro, Char’d and Kanpai Izakaya.
In addition to its super-crispy, double-fried chicken wings, Merge offered an array of Korean street foods such as cheesy corn dogs, fried dumplings and tteokkochi (skewered rice cakes). Entrees including budae jjigae, bulgogi and tteokbokki, along with sandwiches and burgers, rounded out the food menu, pairing perfectly with soju, craft beer, Asian-inspired cocktails and non-alcoholic beverages from the bar.
Merge made its debut in Milwaukee at the start of a resurgence in the city’s East Asian food scene, joining — and building upon — the city’s existing restaurants.
In the years since, the city has gained upwards of nine new boba cafes, a hot pot and Korean barbecue restaurant, several new sushi spots, an Asian chicken sandwich food truck, a mochi doughnut shop, an authentic Korean noodle joint and a takeout business selling Asian street snacks.
Before Merge, this East Side restaurant space was occupied by Yokohama and Yield.
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