Walker’s Point Restaurant Closes

Cute Robot Japanese Kitchen in December 2024. Photo by Jeramey Jannene.

Cute Robot Japanese Kitchen has closed its doors after just over two years in Walker’s Point.

The Japanese comfort food restaurant at 704 S. 2nd St. announced its immediate and permanent closure Thursday in an Instagram post, citing financial challenges.

“It is with heavy hearts that we share the difficult news that, due to financial circumstances, we have decided to permanently close our doors,” owners Janet and Marc Boettner wrote. “We tried very hard to keep our doors open, but ultimately, we came to realize that this was the best path for us.”

Cute Robot opened in August 2024, replacing longtime restaurant The Noble, which closed the year before.

The Boettners created a restaurant centered on yoshoku, a style of Japanese comfort food influenced by Western cuisine. Its menu included Japanese curries, katsu, omurice, sandos and burgers, alongside street food and snacks.

The restaurant’s approach was inspired in part by Janet’s childhood and was intended to offer a different side of Japanese cuisine than the sushi, ramen and tempura more commonly found at Milwaukee-area restaurants.

Its elaborate, anime-inspired interior was also a major part of the concept.

The former Noble space was transformed with neon signs, framed anime characters, manga displays and shelves filled with Japanese memorabilia. A Godzilla mural lined the staircase to an upstairs dining room and bar, where customers could also dine at low, tatami-style tables with floor cushions.

The restaurant developed a following quickly. Shortly after its August 2024 opening, Janet Boettner told Urban Milwaukee that it was already seeing busy services as the owners worked to make the full menu available.

But in Thursday’s announcement, the owners said financial circumstances ultimately made continuing the business untenable.

“We want to thank every one of you who supported us over the last two years,” they wrote. “We truly had the best customers we could have ever asked for, and we are incredibly grateful for all of the memories, kindness, and support you shared with us.”

The Boettners also thanked the restaurant’s employees, calling them “the most amazing team of people we could ever have hoped to work with.”

“From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for being part of our journey,” they wrote. “We will cherish the memories and the people who made this place so special.”

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