Reynas Events And Restaurant Opens At Esperanza Unida Building

The Reynas family provided complimentary breakfast as customer appreciation day on their first day of opening Reynas Events and Mexican Restaurant on Sunday.

By H. Nelson Goodson 

October 26, 2014

Milwaukee, WI - On Sunday, Reynas Events and Mexican Restaurant opened after a long wait to get their food dealer license from the Milwaukee Department of Health and Alderman José G. Pérez, 12th Aldermanic District. Ald. Pérez ok'd the release of the food license after Hispanic News Network U.S.A. (HNNUSA) first reported that Perez had withheld it. Pérez and an assistant city attorney told the Reynas family on October 9th during a meeting at city hall that the food license had been combined with a liquor license. Both licenses were supposed to have been brought before the Milwaukee Common Council Licensing Committee, Pérez told the Reynas. But according to the September 9th hearing only the Class-B Tavern liquor license request by Reynas Events and Mexican Restaurant, LLC was discussed and then placed on hold by Ald. Pérez request.

The minutes of the Licensing Committee hearing and a live television broadcast of the hearing that was recorded confirmed that only the liquor license was included in the agenda and discussed. Alderman T. Anthony Zielinski, the Chairman of the Licensing Committee confirmed that only the liquor license was discussed and placed on hold.

Alfonso Morales, owner of Reynas Bakery and ICE Cream on Chávez Drive and associate of Reynas Events said, that the city inspectors had approved everything needed to get a food dealer license and should have received the license back in July, about the same time Reynas Events had received an occupancy permit by the Department of Neighborhood Services. 

Morales estimated more than 200 people had visited their restaurant between 7:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and many took advantage of the complimentary breakfast (delicious menudo) and others ordered from their menu.

Reynas Events is still looking forward to getting a Class-B Tavern liquor license from the city.

Reynas Events is the first Mexican restaurant to open at the Esperanza Unida International Building at 611 W. National Ave., since the controversy ignited after Ald. Pérez publicly assume during the Licensing Committee hearing that the Esperanza Unida building is owned by the city for just owing taxes. According to Morales, the Esperanza Unida property will be bought by developers in November allowing the Board of Directors to pay taxes owed to the city and avoiding a foreclosure. The developers plan to invest millions into the building and Reynas Events has an exclusive agreement with them to stay at the location for the next 10 years.

The 611 property is assessed at $1,948,000, but owes delinquent taxes for 2013, $66,556.24; for 2012, $64,103.63 and for 2011, $46,111.73, a total of $176,771.60, plus incurring tax delinquent penalties per month. The Treasurer's Office says, Esperanza Unida has a redemption period of November 19, which the Esperanza Board has to pay at least $110,215.36 for delinquent taxes for both 2011 and 2012 to forgo foreclosure.

In June, Callan Shultz,  of North Pointe Holdings ll LLC and President of Keystone Development from Oshkosh offered $1.3M for the Esperanza Unida property and is planning to invest more than $7M to convert the 611 building into a 55-unit apartment complex.