It’s been a journey of stops and starts for Thiensville Nepalese restaurant The Cheel, and it looks like that journey has reached its final stop.
The Cheel and its sister restaurant, Daily Taco & Cantina, also located in Thiensville, on West Freistadt Road, are both shutting down, with next week as their last few days of service, owner Barkha Daily announced in a Facebook post Wednesday afternoon.
“Today, with a heavy heart, we share some difficult news: next week will be our last week of service. While our passion for creating special moments remains, unfortunately, we cannot continue operations at this time,” said Daily, who, with her husband Jesse Daily opened The Cheel in 2014 and Daily Taco in 2020.
The closures come just about a year after The Cheel’s momentous reopening, in a newly constructed two-story building at the corner of South Main Street and Buntrock Avenue. The expansive structure replaced The Cheel’s original home, the historic Commercial House & Hotel building, which was destroyed in a fire in November 2020 — adding insult to the injury caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Breaking ground in November 2021, the estimated $2 million project to reconstruct The Cheel progressed in fits and starts due to numerous obstacles along the way, including increased costs of borrowing and construction materials, supply chain disruption, inclement weather and delays in the village’s permitting process.
“It seemed like everything was a battle … but our focus was to make sure The Cheel opened,” said Barkha Daily in a November 2023 interview with BizTimes.
The Cheel began serving diners in mid-November but didn’t celebrate its grand reopening until February.
In her Facebook post Wednesday, Barkha thanked diners for their patronage and support: “With full hearts and deep gratitude, we reach out to thank each and every one of you. Over the years, the cheel and Daily Taco have been much more than places to only dine or grab a drink—they have been establishments filled with laughter, friendship, celebration, and community. You, our patrons, have made that possible. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts and it has been our absolute privilege to serve and share in your lives.”
