JJ Fish & Chicken Eyes Sherman Park For New Location
The upcoming restaurant, 11th for Milwaukee, is expected to open in December.
JJ Fish & Chicken, 3057 N. 35th St. Photo taken May 30, 2024 by Sophie Bolich.
Popular fast food chain JJ Fish & Chicken is set to expand its Milwaukee presence with a new restaurant at 3057 N. 35th St.
The upcoming location, scheduled to open in December, will be the 11th in the city for the Chicago-based restaurant, which serves a core menu of fish, sandwiches, shrimp and chicken.
The chain, which has more than 130 locations throughout Wisconsin and Illinois, also offers salads, desserts and sides including okra, jalapeño poppers and onion rings.
Business partners Omar Ahmad and Nazeh Ahmad, both based in Illinois, will operate the restaurant. The duo owns five existing JJ Fish & Chicken locations across the city, with Omar owning three and Nazeh two.
James J. Green founded JJ Fish & Chicken in 1982, offering fresh fish to customers, with the option to batter and fry it for $1. The business grew from there, later expanding its menu to include chicken and other types of seafood.
The 2,320-square-foot restaurant has been under development for several years near the high-traffic six-way intersection of Fond du Lac Avenue, 35th and Burleigh streets. Additional fast food restaurants, including Checkers and an in-progress location for Touch Down Wings & Seafood, are situated in the neighboring blocks.
The building itself, formerly home to St. Peter Missionary Baptist Church, has been vacant since at least 2016 according to city records. During that time, its surroundings have changed significantly. Notably, two adjacent buildings, located at 3043-3045 N. 35th St. and 3051 N. 35th St., have been demolished.
Permits were first filed for the fish and chicken restaurant in 2021.
Once open, the upcoming Milwaukee restaurant plans to operate Sunday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to midnight, and Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 a.m., according to a license application pending before the Milwaukee Common Council.
Another JJ Fish & Chicken recently returned to business at 405 W. Center St. Opened in 2017, the restaurant closed just a few years later and its building was slated for demolition. The location is now offering drive-thru service, with walk-in ordering expected to resume in the coming months.
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