After suffering extensive damage from a fire last month, Jose’s Blue Sombrero in Brookfield has permanently closed.
The longtime restaurant, located at 20371 W. Bluemound Road, had been temporarily shut down since the fire, which started inside a kitchen wall on Jan. 5. On Friday, Wauwatosa-based operator DeRosa Corp. announced that Jose’s would not reopen, citing steep repair costs that “do not make economical business sense at this time.”
According to a news release, DeRosa Corp. has entered into a contract to sell the restaurant property later this year. The company declined to share additional information about the impending sale.
Joseph DeRosa, owner of DeRosa Corp., said the decision to close the Brookfield restaurant was a difficult one, and he invited customers to visit one of the three Jose’s Blue Sombrero restaurants that remain open, in Wauwatosa, Fox Point and Racine.
“We are so proud to have been part of the Brookfield community and want to extend a heartfelt and sincere thank you to all of our loyal customers who we’ve had the pleasure of serving for almost 15 years,” said DeRosa.
The company said it will help find employment for former Jose’s Blue Sombrero employees who’d like to remain at DeRosa Corp.’s restaurants.
In addition to Jose’s Blue Sombrero, DeRosa Corp. owns and operates the Chancery in Mequon and Parkside 23 in Brookfield.
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