Caribbean Restaurant For Story Hill
Dos Islas would serve dishes from Puerto Rico, Haiti and the Dominican Republic.
Site of proposed Dos Islas Caribbean Kitchen, 5814 W. Blue Mound Road. Photo taken April 2, 2026 by Sophie Bolich.
The former Tavo’s Signature Cuisine space in Story Hill is ready for its next chapter.
Restaurateurs Gloria Castro and José Luis Soto DeLeon have repainted the building at 5814 W. Blue Mound Road and installed signs announcing plans to launch a new restaurant, Dos Islas Caribbean Kitchen.
The partners will each own a 50% share of the business, which plans to serve dishes from Puerto Rico, Haiti and the Dominican Republic — the latter two located on the island of Hispaniola.
Staples of the region include plantains, rice, beans and pork, with popular dishes such as mofongo, arroz con gandules, sancocho and soup joumou. However, Dos Islas did not include a proposed menu in its license application.
Dos Islas also plans to serve alcohol, projecting that 60% of its revenue will come from beer and cocktails and 40% from food. At 504 square feet, the restaurant is smaller than most, but will offer dine-in service at a handful of tables, with additional seating at the bar.
The location was previously home to Tavo’s Signature Cuisine, a Latin fusion eatery that moved to a larger space in Elm Grove last fall. Frances and Richard Greiten Tod are the building owners, according to city assessment records.
The proposed Caribbean restaurant is among several upcoming changes to a several-block stretch of Blue Mound Road. To the east, Fiesta Colombia is preparing to expand with a second location at 5108 W. Blue Mound Road. The building, adjacent to Story Hill BKC, has been repainted red, blue and yellow — colors of the Colombian flag — to reflect the new concept. To the west, Milwaukee Steakhouse plans to build a 2,071-square-foot addition to the existing restaurant at 6024 W. Blue Mound Road.
A license application for Dos Islas is pending before the Milwaukee Common Council. If approved, the business’s proposed hours of operation are 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 6 a.m. to 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday.
Previous Proposal
Castro and Luis Soto DeLeon originally planned to open Dos Islas at 3408 W. National Ave., according to a license application submitted in early February.
The earlier proposal, described as a fast-food restaurant, would have operated with shorter hours and without a liquor license. Its preview menu included items such as rice, pork, goat, lasagna and desserts like tres leches cake and flan.
Castro and Luis Soto DeLeon cited previous experience at a family restaurant in Puerto Rico; however, their later application indicates the Milwaukee restaurant would be their first venture and that neither has prior experience operating a bar or restaurant.
Castro did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
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