The owners of MOVIDA, 524 S 2nd St., will soon expand their Spanish-themed endeavors to include a restaurant, bar and boutique hotel in Walker’s Point.
Partners Hemad Fadaifar, Aaron Gersonde and Andrei Mikhail have acquired the property at the corner of 6th and Bruce, just south of Great Lakes Distillery. The property at 600 S. 6th St. includes a patio, parking lot and a grassy lot which will be converted to a vegetable garden to supply the restaurant.
The concept for the bar and restaurant will focus on the more rustic, traditional cuisine of Spain in a large plate format. The menu will be executed by Chef Dave Sapb, currently sous chef at MOVIDA.
"We’ll be exploring more of the fire, wood, oak, coal and smoke elements," says Mikhail. "Things inherent to the rustic cuisine of Spain."
The partners anticipate the hotel will include about four units, each designed and equipped with decor inspired by Spain.
"We explored expansion to places beyond Wisconsin," says Garsonde. "But, we love it here in Walker’s Point, and are looking forward to continuing to expand here, pushing culinary boundaries and introducing people to more of the cuisine we know and love."
The partners expect the project to be completed by the end of 2015.
As a passionate champion of the local dining scene, Lori has reimagined the restaurant critic's role into that of a trusted dining concierge, guiding food lovers to delightful culinary discoveries and memorable experiences.
Lori is an avid cook whose accrual of condiments and spices is rivaled only by her cookbook collection. Her passion for the culinary industry was birthed while balancing A&W root beer mugs as a teenage carhop, fed by insatiable curiosity and fueled by the people whose stories entwine with every dish. Lori is the author of two books: the "Wisconsin Field to Fork" cookbook and "Milwaukee Food". Her work has garnered journalism awards from entities including the Milwaukee Press Club. In 2024, Lori was honored with a "Top 20 Women in Hospitality to Watch" award by the Wisconsin Restaurant Association.
When she’s not eating, photographing food, writing or planning for TV and radio spots, you’ll find Lori seeking out adventures with her husband Paul, traveling, cooking, reading, learning, snuggling with her cats and looking for ways to make a difference.
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