Jamaican Restaurant Plans Water Street Expansion
Uppa Yard eyes former Buffalo Wild Wings space, once slated to be a sports bar.
Former Buffalo Wild Wings space at 1123 N. Water St. Photo taken May 20, 2014 by Brett Kihlmire.
Uppa Yard, a popular Jamaican restaurant, plans to open a second location on Water Street near Juneau Ave., according to a license application filed Monday.
The venture would bring new life to the former Buffalo Wild Wings space at 1123 N. Water St., which has been vacant since 2022. Previous plans for a sports bar in the building never came to fruition.
Owner Oliver Edwards has also applied for an occupancy permit, noting that the future restaurant would offer sit-down dining, occupying 2,264 square feet on the building’s first floor.
At its flagship location at 4943 N. Fond du Lac Ave., opened in 2014, Uppa Yard serves Jamaican staples like jerk chicken, oxtail, curry goat and escovitch fish, a traditional dish featuring whole whitefish like snapper, parrotfish or kingfish, topped with spicy pickled vegetables.
The new restaurant, Uppa Yard on Water, plans to offer a similar lineup. A proposed menu includes the aforementioned dishes, along with fried chicken wings and specialty items like cow feet, stew peas and rice, jerk pork and a variety of soups. Sides could include Jamaican patties, steamed cabbage, plantains and coco bread.
Edwards has also applied for liquor and public entertainment licenses, seeking permission to host live music, DJs, bands and karaoke. The business anticipates earning 60% of its revenue from food, 30% from alcohol and 10% from entertainment, according to the license.
Uppa Yard aims to open its Water Street location as soon as mid-July, pending city approval. Edwards is working with architect Tony Antonopoulos to complete renovations and install updated equipment.
OCE Investments, LLC, an entity associated with Edwards, purchased the building in 2023 for $2.5 million, according to city assessment records.
Uppa Yard’s proposed hours of operation are Sunday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Friday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m.
Edwards did not respond to a request for comment by the time of publication.
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