New Business Proposed For King Drive
One Seven Cafe & Lounge plans to take over Mi Casa Su Cafe space.
1835 and 1839 N. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. Photo submitted.
Mi Casa Su Cafe has operated for nearly eight years on King Drive, where it’s become a staple of the ever-evolving Bronzeville neighborhood. But the bar and restaurant may soon close as a new business prepares to move into the building.
Industry veteran Eric Mahoney recently filed a license application for One Seven Cafe & Lounge, with plans to occupy both the Mi Casa Su Cafe building at 1835 N. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. and a neighboring space at 1839 N. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr.
A floor plan indicates the business would be divided into a “cafe side” and “lounge side,” with a separate entrance for each. An interior doorway would connect the two concepts.
In the application, Mahoney outlines plans to operate a “cafe-style restaurant,” offering a blend of Southern and Jamaican-inspired dishes with an emphasis on seafood.
A proposed menu for One Seven features starters like fried okra, crab cake bites and and crab cake egg rolls, along with sides such as hush puppies and fried green tomatoes. The restaurant would also serve custom pizzas, sandwiches and burgers, with options including jerk chicken sliders, lobster sliders and a catfish sandwich.
A drink menu is not included in the application, though Mahoney expects to generate around 33% of revenue from alcohol sales. The remaining 67% would come from food.
In addition to dining, One Seven plans to host bands, DJs and other entertainment, using speakers for amplification. The approximately 2,200-square-foot space also features an outdoor patio to the south.
Mahoney plans to open the new business as soon as possible, with proposed daily hours of 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. A license application is pending before the Milwaukee Common Council.
Previous ventures from Mahoney include ONE Sports Lounge, which was licensed in 2010, according to city records. The business, located at 1003 N. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr., struggled financially and filed for bankruptcy in 2015, according to court records.
While the application for One Seven notes that Mi Casa Su Cafe is still operating, the business, led by Paul Whigham, was closed during regular hours on Monday and Tuesday.
Whigham opened Mi Casa Su Cafe in late 2017 with Jameel Trotter. In its early years, the restaurant offered a health-focused menu that excluded fried foods, soda and pork. Over time, the business relaxed those guidelines, adding fried seafood and alcoholic beverages to its lineup. A recent menu includes fried lobster, shrimp and grits, pasta dishes and more.
Whigham is now the sole owner of Mi Casa Su Cafe. The business’s license is set to expire in October.
Court records show Mi Casa Su Cafe has faced financial challenges for more than a year. The business’s LLC had delinquent tax warrants filed against it by the Wisconsin Department of Revenue dating back to March 2024, according to public tax records. In February, the Department of Revenue filed nine lawsuits against Whigham seeking unpaid taxes.
Whigham could not be reached for comment, and Mahoney did not respond to an interview request by the time of publication.
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