Milwaukee's Licenses Committee voted unanimously Tuesday to recommend denying a liquor and entertainment license for La Parrilla Restaurant Bar, the Mexican restaurant and bar proposed for 1724 W. Mitchell St. The move puts plans by owners Maricela Antunez Jimenez and Jorge Vasquez Ruiz to revive a long-vacant Mitchell Street storefront on hold and clouds a hoped-for end-of-2026 opening. The committee's recommendation will now go to the full Common Council for a final vote.
The decision followed a lengthy hearing where neighbors and district Ald. José G. Pérez raised objections over unsanctioned events at the building and the restaurant's proximity to a day care, which Pérez said may violate the state's 300-foot rule, according to Urban Milwaukee. Ald. JoCasta Zamarripa moved to deny after hearing testimony and told the applicant, "You should know better, señora," the outlet reported. Committee members voted without objection to forward the recommendation to the council.
Antunez Jimenez and Vasquez Ruiz own the Mitchell Street building and already operate Taqueria Parrilla Mixe and a same-named restaurant at 4952 W. Forest Home Ave., city licensing records show. Earlier license filings and committee minutes show the partners requested permission for live music and extended hours as they pursued a brick-and-mortar expansion, according to City of Milwaukee records.
Neighbors Say Parties And Safety Drove Opposition
Neighbors and community organizer Travis Hope told the committee they had observed what they described as nearly weekly quinceañeras and intoxicated patrons leaving the building, testimony that factored into the committee's recommendation, per Urban Milwaukee. Ald. Pérez noted the site's proximity to a day care and cited the state's 300-foot restriction, which can block issuance of certain Class A or Class B licenses when a premises' main entrance is within that distance of a school, hospital or church. That restriction is set out in state law; see Wisconsin statute 125.68.
What Comes Next
The Licenses Committee's report will be considered by the full Common Council at its March 24 meeting, where council members will take a final vote on the application. If the council upholds the committee and denies the license, city guidance notes that an applicant denied for the same premises is disqualified from filing for that license at that address for one year, per the City clerk's license FAQ. The owners told the committee they hoped to beautify the property and work with neighbors if they return to the process.
