A combo Burger Lab and Shawarma Lab could soon take over the former American Mattress building at 4736 S. 76th Street in Greenfield, sitting right across from Kopp’s Frozen Custard. The proposal calls for turning the roughly 4,200-square-foot space into a fast-casual restaurant open daily from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m., with about a dozen employees on staff. The Greenfield Plan Commission is slated to review the site-review and special-use permit at its Tuesday meeting.
Proposal details
According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the application brands the concept as "Burger Lab and Shawarma Lab" and outlines a menu with smash burgers, sandwiches, chicken wings and build-your-own shawarma bowls. The filing lists Ali Almahd as the applicant, states that the restaurant would occupy a roughly 4,200-square-foot unit, and estimates staffing at five full-time and seven part-time workers.
Where the site stands now
The Plan Commission meeting appears on the City of Greenfield calendar, where staff is set to take public comment and walk through the proposal. City documents identify 4736 S. 76th St. as a commercial parcel in municipal records (City of Greenfield), and a commercial listing notes that the address previously housed an American Mattress store (Purple).
Permits and required work
Plan-review notes reported by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel indicate that commissioners are likely to ask for a landscaping plan, fresh paint and repairs for the dumpster enclosure, and a fats, oils and grease (FOG) plan before signing off on an occupancy permit. Those conditions are typical when former retail spaces in the corridor convert to restaurant use and are intended to keep odors, runoff and visual clutter in check.
Where it fits on 76th Street
Greenfield’s S. 76th Street corridor has been quietly filling in with smaller food concepts this year, including a take-and-bake pizza shop approved earlier in the spring, a trend highlighted in a report on a new late-night take-and-bake pizza spot. That steady trickle of projects helps explain why independent operators are eyeing compact storefronts along the Southridge retail strip.
What's next
If the Plan Commission signs off on the proposal, it would still need to clear the city’s site-review process along with building and health-department approvals before an occupancy permit is issued. Residents interested in the project can review the commission packet and attend Tuesday’s meeting, where staff and commissioners are expected to hash out any conditions tied to the special-use permit.
