Rev-Up MKE Winner Opening Bistro on Near West Side

Lisa Kaye Bistro, 3801 W. Vliet St. Photo taken July 22, 2024 by Sophie Bolich.

After more than a decade in the catering business, you might think Lisa McKay would have mastered every aspect of the hospitality industry.

But the chef and entrepreneur, owner of Lisa Kaye Catering, is wise enough to know that learning is never finished. In 2017, she entered Rev-Up MKE, a small business competition, and was named the winner.

Since then, McKay has leveraged her victory to gain further experience, streamline operations and grow her company in ways she had only dreamed of previously.

She’s now preparing to open a brick-and-mortar location for the business, bringing her crowd-favorite pasties, blackened fish, street tacos and more to the Near West Side beginning Sept. 21.

Lisa Kaye Bistro, 3801 W. Vliet St., plans to serve breakfast and lunch initially, with the possibility of adding dinner service in the future. The bistro’s final menu will likely include soup, sandwiches and plentiful vegetarian dishes, along with a Friday fish fry.

The establishment has no plans to serve alcohol — at least initially — but will offer a wide selection of non-alcoholic beverages.

McKay said she wants to showcase a smaller menu of high-quality items, which would allow her to deliver a positive experience to customers while continuing her catering operations.

She speaks highly of her involvement with Rev-Up, particularly the support she received from mentor Tom Avery and Near West Side Partners (NWSP) anchor institutions Aurora Health Care, Harley-Davidson, Marquette University, Molson Coors and Potawatomi Ventures.

“It was very positive, McKay said. “My experience after we won was just amazing. We had all these people just reaching out to help with updating my business plan, financially, and just making sure that all of my legal paperwork was up to date and up to standards and things like that. It was grand to just get those in order properly.”

Even before the competition, which aims to revitalize and sustain business and residential corridors on the Near West Side, McKay said she and her husband were drawn to the neighborhood.

“There were a lot of vacant buildings and a lot of potential, and that’s the area we decided we wanted to be in,” she said, noting that her husband, Dwayne, is the type “to jump on the bandwagon before it takes off.”

“We’re always there jumping on before it’s successful, so we can help make history,” she said. “Not to get our names in the paper or anything like that, but to just help build the neighborhood.”

McKay has a history with the Vliet Street building, having frequented Triciclo Peru, its previous occupant. When the Peruvian restaurant took second place in the 2018 Rev-Up competition, McKay was a judge.

Just before the restaurant closed in 2023, McKay stopped by to purchase some vegetarian empanadas, when Triciclo co-founder Amy Narr broke the news.

“She took me around and I’m like, ‘yeah, this would be perfect,'” McKay said. “She helped me acquire the building and talk with with the owner, and it just worked out from there. She’s been a blessing.”

McKay said her network of mentors, including Narr and many others, have played a key role in her entrepreneurial journey.

Take Avery, the mentor-in-residence at NWSP who connected with McKay through Rev-Up. A prolific entrepreneur himself, Avery operates Avery Consulting LLC, which has helped develop financial projections for upwards of 2,500 companies.

And he’s connected with countless more through his role at NWSP.

Avery said his approach is heavily informed by the businesses he’s owned and operated with his wife, Mary, as well as experience gleaned from years of consulting.

“We can bring that to the table and use those experiences as a way of guiding people who are walking a mile in the shoes that we have walked in so many times,” he said.

Avery said he immediately took note of McKay’s drive and determination after becoming her mentor.

“I want to feel that my time is being spent well and that I’m having an impact, and it’s a partnership between myself and the client to make that happen,” he said. “Lisa has been that kind of client and that kind of partner for me.”

“She comes to the meetings prepared, and she knows in-depth how her business operates and and what skill set she has that can have a positive impact on her business. She’s just a delight to work with.”

McKay is well-equipped for the new venture, but said she’s still dealing with some jitters. Support from community members has been helpful in boosting her enthusiasm.

“People come by every day in the neighborhood to ask when we’re opening and if we’re hiring,” she said. “It makes me feel really happy that people are really welcoming us and looking forward to to what we have to offer.”

She’s also going through restaurant-specific training and will continue to lean on Rev-Up for support.

First launched in 2016, Rev-Up is intended to attract new businesses to the Near West Side neighborhoods while encouraging residents and community members to support the business models they want to see in their neighborhoods.

As part of the competition, finalists receive hands-on business training to refine their business plan and prepare for a “Shark Tank”-style live pitch event, with the winner receiving significant resources towards their venture.

Past winners include Pete’s Pops and Funky Fresh Spring Rolls.

The 2024 Rev-Up MKE competition will take place Tuesday, Sept. 10 at The Rave, 2401 W. Wisconsin Ave. The event is open to the public and free to attend. More information is available online.

Lisa Kaye Bistro will host its grand opening on Sept 21. Reservations are required and can be booked online. During the event, which runs from noon to 3 p.m, guests can expect to sample dishes and mocktails from the bistro’s menu.

“I’m looking forward to it because I know it’s going to be successful,” McKay said. “I am actually looking forward to seeing exactly how these flowers are going to bloom.”

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