Habanero's Mexican Restaurant & Margarita House, the longtime Mexican spot at 7700 W. Layton Ave. in Greenfield, plans to rebrand as Butter'd Up Kitchen & Bar, bringing an exterior refresh and a major expansion into breakfast service with hours stretching from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. The Greenfield City Plan Commission is set to consider the proposal at its Tuesday meeting.
The plans were submitted to the city's plan commission, according to BizTimes Milwaukee, which reported the proposed concept change. The applicant behind the rebrand is Angel-Gabriel Melendez, who has operated at the Layton Avenue location since 2016 and has also run a Wauwatosa restaurant since 2005, per documents reviewed by the outlet. Melendez operates the Wauwatosa Habanero's under the corporate entity Perfecto Restaurant Group 2 Inc. at 869 N. Mayfair Rd., according to Wauwatosa city records.
Under the proposal, the applicant plans to lease the entire 4,750-square-foot building under a five-year lease. City staff have recommended a temporary occupancy permit for Butter'd Up Kitchen & Bar for up to one year, with pending site work, including a parking lot replacement, making full completion unlikely before the end of 2026.
A Building With a Long History of Reinvention
The site has cycled through concepts for more than a decade. The building previously housed a Hooters restaurant before it closed in mid-2012, prompting subsequent tenants to repaint the exterior from Hooters orange to red, according to the Greenfield Patch. After Hooters, the space became Dr. Dawg, a restaurant serving hot dogs and Italian beef.
Habanero's Mexican Restaurant & Margarita House has operated at the Greenfield location since 2016, according to BizTimes. The Greenfield Common Council's Oct. 20, 2015, agenda included a Special Use Review for Habanero's. The parcel also went through a sign code appeal before the same commission in July 2019 to approve exterior signage modifications.
Breakfast Marks a Shift in the Business Model
Breakfast Marks a Shift in the Business Model The proposed 7 a.m. start would add morning service to the restaurant's business model. The rebrand proposes hours from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, with breakfast service as part of the expanded schedule.
The property is on Layton Avenue in Greenfield.
The Greenfield Plan Commission is scheduled to consider the proposal Tuesday. City staff's recommendation for a temporary one-year occupancy permit suggests the rebrand could open to customers before the building's full site work, including the parking lot overhaul, is finished.
