Restaurateur Paul Berlin plans to open The Bay, a community-based restaurant and bar on Silver Spring Drive in Whitefish Bay.
The new restaurant is located at the former site of El Guapo’s restaurant.
With a slogan of “By the Bay for the Bay,” Berlin said the restaurant “will be connected to the community through schools, groups, local businesses and ownership,” according to a report at the Whitefish Bay Patch.
Berlin expects to open the new restaurant in March or April.
“Being Bay residents, I want to be able to walk up Silver Spring and do all the things we want to do, but one of the things that is missing is a full-service restaurant,” he said.
Berlin was the founder and chief operating officer of local Buffalo Wild Wings franchises, as well as Sabor, for 19 years.
The co-owner and main operations manager of The Bay will be James McMahon, who worked 15 years in daily operations at Buffalo Wild Wings and has more than 20 years of management experience.
Berlin and McMahon are expected to sign a five-year lease on the 5,000-square-foot space owned by New Land Enterprises.
The business received a $42,500 retail incentive grant from the village’s Community Development Authority Thursday morning.
The restaurant will be backed by 15 local investors that are connected in the community. Berlin said. The investors are not only providing financial backing, but will also assist with networking and helping them build the business, he said.
