New Restaurant Opens on Fond du Lac Avenue

Rise Kitchen, 4610 W. Fond du Lac Ave. Photo courtesy of Jonathan Springfield-Burnett

Rise Kitchen has achieved liftoff in Sherman Park.

The new restaurant opened earlier this month at 4610 W. Fond du Lac Ave. It features a preliminary menu of burgers and fries, with plans to expand the selection as it continues to gain traction in the neighborhood.

“It’s been going really well so far,” owner Jonathan Springfield-Burnett told Urban Milwaukee, noting that the restaurant offers on-site dining, though delivery orders have mostly buoyed the business through its early weeks.

For now, the operation is a one-man show, with Springfield-Burnett handling the front-of-house, the fryers and the flat top—where he feels most at home.

“I’ve been enjoying it,” said the chef, who studied biochemistry in college and approaches the venture with an eye toward scientific theory. “I like working to perfect the burger—you learn every time you make one.”

Springfield-Burnett specializes in smashburgers, and is getting closer each day to mastering the technique, he said, emphasizing the importance of a perfectly toasted bun, spread with a thin layer of butter before loading up the burger.

“Even with the fries, you learn how to use the oil—when its fresh, the fries cook faster and better,” he added.

Rise Kitchen currently offers a variety of standard hamburgers, including cheeseburgers and bacon cheeseburgers, along with signature items like a salmon burger, BBQ burger and The Hurt Burger, with melted cheese, onions, pickled jalapenos, secret sauce, lettuce and tomato.

After nearly a month of steady DoorDash sales, Springfield-Burnett said he’ll soon roll out breakfast items, along with chicken wings, salads, wraps and more.

To see the full menu, or to place an order, visit the restaurant’s website.

In addition to quick-service meals, Rise Kitchen doubles as a private event venue, available to rent for reunions, baby showers, repasts and more. The 3,500-square-foot space accommodates outside caterers and includes booths, tables and chairs for gatherings, said Springfield-Burnett.

Those interested in booking the venue can drop by in-person or reach the business by phone at (414) 522-2177.

Rise Kitchen accepts online orders daily from 8 a.m. to 2:30 a.m.

The new restaurant is an evolution of an earlier concept, Dinner Today, which Springfield-Burnett first proposed in 2023. It replaces a former nightclub, Mr. J’s Lounge, in a portion of the larger, 25,224-square-foot building that also houses a furniture store and a youth resource center. Building owner Charnjit Kaur purchased the property in 2021.

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