Kemola, a new Nigerian restaurant from longtime Milwaukee caterer Mary Oluwakemi Akande, is set to open Saturday, May 16 at 8704 W. Brown Deer Road. The brick-and-mortar spot follows more than two decades of Akande’s catering work and aims to give locals a place to get jollof, pepper soup and other home-style dishes without a trip to Chicago.
As reported by Urban Milwaukee, Kemola will serve staples such as jollof rice, suya, fufu, meat pies, akara and moi moi, along with soups and stews built around proteins like chicken, turkey and salmon. The restaurant will not serve alcohol and plans to pour soda, juice and malt instead, and Akande said finally opening a restaurant answers years of customers asking for a place where they could sit down and enjoy her food.
Permits And The Path To A Brick-And-Mortar
City records show Akande filed as the agent for "Authentic Nigerian Food and Catering Services" at the Brown Deer Road site during advisory council reviews this spring, a step that cleared the way for a restaurant opening. The application and related items appear on Granville-Havenwoods advisory council agendas, according to the City of Milwaukee.
Community Support And Family Ties
Akande said she named the restaurant Kemola as a blend of her and her husband’s names, and that family and church members have been pivotal in getting the dining room ready. The menu also reaches into weekend comfort territory, with Saturday breakfast items like ogi and bread with beans, a sign the spot is aiming to serve both everyday cravings and weekend traditions.
What To Know For Opening Day
Kemola's grand-opening hours are set for noon to 9 p.m., with a 20% discount for the first 50 guests and 10% off throughout the day, according to Urban Milwaukee. The dining room will seat roughly three dozen people and carryout will be available to-go. “This is what people have been waiting for, and I’m so excited to be in a position to serve,” Akande told the outlet.
