De Sol Coffee & Tea is eyeing a spot on Wauwatosa’s busy North Avenue, with plans for a Vietnamese-style café and eatery at 6927 W. North Ave. In city filings, the business is listed as Des Sol Coffee & Tea, and the proposal outlines a compact takeout-and-dine-in setup serving coffee, tea, and a tight menu of noodle, rice, and sandwich dishes aimed squarely at the morning and lunch crowd.
What’s proposed
According to a conditional use permit application, the owner is seeking approval to convert the tenant space at 6927 W. North Ave. into an eating establishment within the Neighborhood Village Trade/North Avenue Overlay, with Barry Yang named as the applicant. The filing describes planned hours of 9 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., a staff of four, and a menu centered on coffee & tea along with noodles, rice, and sandwiches. City of Wauwatosa public records
Local reporting
The plan did not stay under the radar for long. As reported by the Milwaukee Business Journal, the filing surfaced in public records and quickly caught the attention of neighborhood watchers yesterday. Reporter Linda Spice highlighted the proposal to bring Vietnamese-style offerings to the North Avenue corridor, noting that the whole thing still depends on the necessary city approvals.
Why North Avenue
North Avenue is one of Wauwatosa’s main commercial lifelines, a stretch that mixes long-standing neighborhood cafés with newer spots targeted at commuters and nearby workers. The city’s economic development materials describe the East Tosa portion of the corridor as a classic Main Street setting, where small-format dining and coffee shops fit right in alongside retail. That makes the proposed café, which doubles as a quick-service lunch option, a logical play for the strip. City of Wauwatosa economic development
Regional context
De Sol would not be the only Vietnamese concept making moves in the Milwaukee suburbs. Journalists recently covered a proposed Banh Mi Corner at the West Allis Towne Center, reported in late January, a sign that banh mi and Vietnamese coffee are finding a growing audience beyond the city center. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel via Yahoo
What’s next
De Sol’s application already landed on the Common Council agenda for an informational public hearing on Jan. 27, and the business will still need final approvals and building permits before opening its doors, according to city agenda documents. Neighbors and future regulars along North Avenue should get a clearer sense of timing once zoning and permitting hurdles are cleared. Wauwatosa meeting records
