New Restaurant Coming To King Drive

When you take a seat at Bronzeville Kitchen & Lounge you will find an expansive menu of upscale dishes, curated drink offerings and a bright dining room overlooking King Drive. But there’s more to the soon-to-open restaurant than meets the eye.

Owner and industry veteran Paul Whigham intends for the business, 2053 N. Martin Luther King Jr Dr., to highlight and celebrate the robust history of its namesake neighborhood while prioritizing community, sustainability, ethical sourcing and responsible business practices.

He also plans to feature live music performances, with an emphasis on jazz. “It’s something that I do want the neighbors to be involved in so that they don’t have to go Downtown to enjoy good food and live music,” Whigham told the Licenses Committee on Tuesday.

Whigham, who also operates the nearby Mi Casa Su Cafe, outlined his goals for the establishment in an online statement.

“Bronzeville Kitchen & Lounge is a restaurant that blends the rich cultural heritage of the Bronzeville community with a modern upscale dining experience,” he wrote. “Our target audience is made of people who appreciate the finer things in life and are looking for a dining experience that combines sophistication with approachability.”

That balance is well-represented in the restaurant’s menu, which encompasses a wide range of both casual and upscale dishes, along with Southern and soul food favorites, pasta entrees and vegan and vegetarian-friendly meals.

Low key diners can gravitate towards the jerk chicken burrito, chicken tenders, chicken wings, battered potato wedges and more, while higher-end offerings include the grilled lamb chops, crab cake with aioli, deep-fried lobster tail and bourbon-glazed salmon.

The restaurant will also feature some middle-of-the-road items such as Southern fried catfish and jerk chicken pasta, along with soul food dishes and sides including Mississippi pot roast, fried green tomatoes, mac and cheese and collard greens. Plant-based offerings step outside the Impossible burger box with Thai basil eggplant stir fry and vegan Italian meatball alfredo.

Bronzeville Kitchen & Lounge is preparing to open within the building that formerly housed On the Bayou. The previous restaurant, now known as NO BAYOU, relocated to Nō Studios at the beginning of 2023 and later joined Paper Table food hall. But neither space was a good fit, said owner Gregory Johnson, who now operates the business out of Blackwood Brothers Restaurant and Social Club, 3001 S. Kinnickinnic Ave.

Whigham is just one of several entrepreneurs who selected King Drive for their latest ventures. Confectionately Yours, a cafe and bakery, opened its first stand-alone location just down the street in October 2022. HoneyBee Sage Apothecary & Herbal Beverage Lounge followed soon after. Another business, Niche Book Bar, is expected to open in the coming months.

Others nearby include the recently-opened 414loral and Interval, which recently announced plans to relocate its roasting and packaging operations to the neighborhood.

Whigham is also in the process of opening another restaurant, Brunch All Day Cafe, at 3428 W. Villard Ave., in the Old North Milwaukee neighborhood. The upcoming eatery plans to serve — you guessed it — all-day brunch.

An official opening date has not yet been released for the Bronzeville restaurant. Updates will be posted to the business’s Facebook and Instagram pages.

Once open, the restaurant plans to operate on Sunday through Wednesday from 7 a.m. to midnight and Thursday through Saturday from 7 a.m. to 1:30 a.m. The establishment will be limited to those 30 years of age and older after 9 p.m. each day.

Bronzeville Kitchen & Lounge is located within the Halyard Park neighborhood, but is part of the Bronzeville District.