This summer, we reported that Sven’s Cafe, 2699 S. Kinnickinnic Ave., was closed and that the building had been put up for sale.
But, as of this week, the former cafe has a new owner. The building has been purchased by 2699 S. Kinnickinnic LLC, an entity whose members include Cat Tran and Mark Nielsen, owners of Hue Restaurant Group.
"When this property became available, we knew this was an opportunity to further our commitment to Bay View, a neighborhood we have been connected to for over a decade," noted Nielsen in a release about the transaction.
Tran notes that they’ve not finalized their plans for the property at this time.
"With the growth of SquareMeal, our frozen meal prep service, our Hue Asian Kitchen food truck, and our growing catering operations, everything is on the table," she says.
Tran and Nielsen launched SquareMeal in 2018. The venture specializes in frozen, ready-to-cook meals (many of which are free of gluten, dairy and nuts). Weekly menus, which can be picked up at Hue Restaurant locations or delivered, include a variety of traditional American dishes including chicken and wild rice soup, taco lasagna and baked chicken and vegetables.
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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