New Restaurant Opening Soon in Columbus Park Neighborhood
Fully Loaded Eatery is making the jump from food truck to full-blown restaurant. Its grand opening is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 21.
Soul food from Fully Loaded Eatery. Photo courtesy of Yumi Lockridge.
For Yumi Lockridge, food is love. And affection is in the air on Milwaukee’s Northwest Side.
The chef and entrepreneur is preparing to open her first brick-and-mortar restaurant, Fully Loaded Eatery, this weekend. What started as a food truck in 2019 will soon take root at 7870 W. Appleton Ave.
Lockridge plans to serve a diverse menu of soul food, loaded potatoes, salads, fresh juices and more.
As she enters the new venture, her goals are simple: bring good food to the community, and bring the community together.
“I’m hoping that good food brings people together,” she told Urban Milwaukee in an interview. “Any way that I can help the community, that’s what I want to do. I just want to be a staple.”
Lockridge, who doubles as a hairstylist, has always felt at home in the kitchen, though she didn’t enter the culinary scene professionally until five years ago.
“I was a grandma’s baby,” she said. “So sitting there, watching her cook and fighting with my siblings about who can lick the spoon. You know, just a lifetime of loving being in the kitchen. To me, being in the kitchen is love.”
That passion, she said, is what makes Fully Loaded Eatery special, and keeps guests coming back for more.
And there’s lots to try. One of Lockridge’s specialties is soul food, so dishes like macaroni and cheese, yams, fried turkey legs, dressing, catfish and more will be featured on the menu. Guests can also expect breakfast items, loaded baked potatoes, a salad bar and sides such as brussels sprouts fried cabbage and corn. To drink, Lockridge will serve fresh-pressed juice.
The new restaurant will occupy a building that formerly housed Pass Da Peas. In fact, the previous business’s name is still displayed on the awning. Lockridge is in the process of updating the space — both inside and out.
But for now, her focus is on the grand opening, scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 21. The all-day celebration will feature games, karaoke, vendors and a “mouthwatering culinary showcase,” according to the event flyer.
Lockridge said there will also be a bounce house for kids, a DJ performance and live music at the grand opening. Additional details are available online.
Following the grand opening, Fully Loaded Eatery will open Tuesday and Wednesday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. (breakfast is served until 10 a.m.), Thursday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. (breakfast is served until noon), Friday and Saturday from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday from noon until 10 p.m.
The restaurant is a carry-out operation, but includes a patio for outdoor dining. Lockridge said she plans to host community events such as paint and sips, yoga classes and more on the patio as weather allows.
Lockridge is seeking additional vendors for this weekend’s grand opening, as well as employees for the restaurant. Those interested in either opportunity can reach Lockridge via phone (414-393-0992) or email (fullyloaded4all@gmail.com) to learn more.
The food truck, currently parked at the restaurant, will continue to operate alongside the new restaurant, appearing at events throughout the area.
Fully Loaded Eatery is not affiliated with Fully Loaded Fries, a food truck-turned vendor at Sherman Phoenix Marketplace.
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