Omar Shaikh, co-owner and president of SURG Restaurant Group LLC, is expected to run the food hall planned for The Shops of Grand Avenue in downtown Milwaukee, according to several sources.
SURG operates Milwaukee-area restaurants Carnevor, Mikey’s, Gouda’s Italian Deli, Hom Wood Fired Grill, Bugsy’s, Bradford Beach View and Distil, as well as event venues SURG on the Water, The Garden and Lucid Light Lounge.
Shaikh has declined to comment on the plans for the Grand Avenue food hall space over the past several weeks.
The owners of the mall, Milwaukee-based Aggero Group LLC and Minneapolis-based Hempel Cos., unveiled a $65 million plan in 2016 to redevelop the mall beginning with the creation of 50 apartments, office space and the first-floor food hall. The owners did not return several calls seeking comment about the updated food hall plans over the past several weeks.
Sources indicate the owners plan to announce more details of the food hall, including the operator and about 10 to 15 food business occupants, in early June, and construction would begin in the fall.
One food purveyor who hopes to have a spot in the food hall is Trueman McGee, owner of Funky Fresh Spring Rolls. The gourmet spring roll maker opened a ground floor retail space in Grand Avenue May 16, with a goal of being part of the food hall when it opens.
McGee also has plans to open a location at the Sherman Phoenix in Milwaukee’s Sherman Park neighborhood, which also will have a food hall.
The news of the progression of the planned food hall at Grand Avenue comes close on the heels of the announcement May 16 that New Land Enterprises plans to open a food hall called Crossroads Collective this fall in the former Rosati’s space on North Farwell Avenue.
“I think there’s more than enough room for two concepts in the city,” said Tim Gokhman, director at New Land, when informed of the Grand Avenue food hall plans by a BizTimes reporter last week.
