Crave Kitchens has submitted initial plans to the city to open a digital food hall at 3001 S. Kinnickinnic Ave. in Milwaukee’s Bay View neighborhood. The Bay View location would be Crave’s first in Wisconsin and is expected to open on Dec. 1, according to Ira High, vice president of operations and development for Crave.
Plans were submitted to the city by ghost kitchen franchise company Crave Hospitality Wisconsin, an affiliate of Crave Kitchens.
At Crave, like other ghost kitchens around the country, patrons order food via an app or website and have the option to pick up the food or have it delivered. The Bay View space, however, will also feature dine-in seating because of the existing infrastructure, said High.
If approved, Crave will be open Sunday-Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Friday-Saturday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
The space on Kinnickinnic Avenue was previously occupied by Blackwood Brothers Restaurant & Social Club, which permanently closed as of Feb. 24 this year. The location transitioned to become a Peruvian restaurant called Inca Peru, which is also permanently closed, according to Google. City documents say the space has been vacant for upwards of six months.
Crave will be a tenant of the building under owner Mario Malacara.
In addition to Crave’s Texas and Milwaukee locations, another shop is planned for Phoenix, Arizona. Crave’s Texas location offers catering in addition to its other services.
Crave Kitchens feature a combination of national and local vendors as well as vendors created by the Crave team.
The Bay View location will offer food from several company-created vendors including Big Red’s Burger and Grill, Brownstone Pizza, Red Crane, The Flying Rooster, The Twisted Cactus and Umi Poke. Each represents a different type of cuisine. Crave is open to becoming a sublicensee to other local eateries once the restaurant is open, according to High.
On average, orders include food from two or more different brands, according to co-founder and chief executive officer Bruce Schroder.
Schroder is a long-time veteran of the food and beverage industry. He previously worked for companies like Pepsi and Starbucks and currently serves as the president of Reef Kitchens, Moe’s Southwest Grill, and Jamba Juice.
