A little piece of Riverwest is moving into Walker’s Point.
Late yesterday, Fuel Cafe owners Scott Johnson and Leslie Montemurro, in partnership with BelAir Cantina partners Kristyn Eitel and Noe Zamora, announced that they will be opening a newfangled version of Fuel Cafe at 650 S. 5th St. in a warehouse currently undergoing major renovations.
"We have been wanting to open a modern version of Fuel for a long time," says Montemurro, who notes that the development plans for the 5th Street corridor were the inspiration for their choice of location. "Everyone in our group is very excited about all the things happening on 5th Street," she notes.
The concept, which has been forecasted to open this summer, will share the Fuel name, but offer an entirely new experience for Milwaukee coffee lovers and diners.
"The café’s concept is decidedly riffing off Fuel’s motorcycle roots," says Johnson, known for his partnership with the Mama Tried Motorcycle Show and the Rockerbox Street Festival. "But that is really just a sliver of our identity – it will be a full service neighborhood restaurant and café. Alike to our Riverwest location, we’re really drawn to the diversity of the Walker’s Point community – businesses and residents alike."
The floor plan for the new restaurant, which was conceptualized by Rinka-Chung Architecture, will accommodate a street-side cafe, which will open early to offer up coffee and espresso drinks, along with grab and go items and house-made bakery.
Meanwhile, just behind the cafe, a full-service bar and restaurant will offer breakfast, lunch and dinner, as well as brunch on Saturdays and Sundays. And a large semi-private dining area will be available for use by groups large or small.
A menu will offer classic Fuel favorites like the Cheesy Tomato and Buttafuoco sandwiches, as well as a new selection of made from scratch American classics – including offerings like beef stroganoff, pasties and hot chicken – developed by Zamora and his culinary team.
"I like looking at traditional preparations of classics, but always going back to the idea of how can this be made with the freshest ingredients. We will be grinding our own beef for burgers and doing the majority of our own baking," says Zamora. "Look forward to our own specialty donuts every weekend."
Watch OnMilwaukee for additional details as they develop.
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.
.jpeg)
