Mara’s Grill to Close, Owner Cites ‘Unexpected’ Rent Increase

Mara’s Grill. Image from Google Maps.

Mara’s Grill, a beloved Guatemalan-Mexican fusion restaurant in the Kops Park neighborhood on the Northwest Side, announced yesterday that it will close on Sept. 19.

In a phone conversation with Urban Milwaukee, co-owner David Hernandez said an unexpected increase in rent is pricing the restaurant out. In June of this year, he said, “I was told everything would stay the same. Then last week, around August 30, I was asked to sign a new lease.” That new lease, he said, included a rent increase of “over 100%.”

“The rent increase is something we didn’t expect,” Hernandez said. “If it was $200 more, we could have made it work. That was not the case.”

Mara’s Grill, 3441 N. 84th St., is one of the only restaurants in Milwaukee to serve authentic, scratch-made Guatemalan dishes. Hernandez said that business has been slow since construction on W. Lisbon Avenue began in the spring of 2025.

“It’s been an honor and pleasure to serve you for almost 11 years,” reads the restaurant’s closing announcement.

In the hours after the announcement, loyal customers took to Reddit and Facebook to share their grievances regarding the upcoming closure and admiration for the spot.

“This sucks. Not a lot of options for home made Mexican in the area, this one was fantastic. Loved everything we tried,” wrote one commenter on Reddit.

Hernandez said he and his wife, co-owner and namesake of the restaurant, Mara Taracena, plan to take “a month off” after closing on Sept. 19. In that time, he said, they will search for a new spot to restart operations.

Hernandez said that if they are able to find a new location, much of the menu will stay the same. He said they hope to find a space with more seating options than the N. 84th St. location provided.

Area Ald. Lamont Westmoreland said the restaurant was his family’s “go-to” and he would work to find it a new home after the property was sold.

According to city records, Jakub Lepold and his family have owned the property for several decades.

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