Home Industries Restaurants Owners of The Cheel will receive WEDC grant following series of project...

Owners of The Cheel will receive WEDC grant following series of project setbacks

A northeast view of the cheel's new building. Rendering courtesy of Waterborne Architects.

It hasn’t been an easy journey for Barkha and Jesse Daily as they seek to rebuild their Nepalese restaurant The Cheel in Thiensville, but a Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. grant worth $250,000 will help the cause. The village of Thiensville has been approved to receive the Community Development Investment grant, which in turn will help the

Already a subscriber? Log in

To continue reading this article ...

Subscribe to BizTimes today and get immediate access to our Insider-only content and much more.

Learn More and Subscribe Now
Ashley covers startups, technology and manufacturing for BizTimes. She was previously the managing editor of the News Graphic and Washington County Daily News. In past reporting roles, covering education at The Waukesha Freeman, she received several WNA awards. She is a UWM graduate. In her free time, Ashley enjoys watching independent films, tackling a new recipe in the kitchen and reading a good book.
It hasn’t been an easy journey for Barkha and Jesse Daily as they seek to rebuild their Nepalese restaurant The Cheel in Thiensville, but a Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. grant worth $250,000 will help the cause. The village of Thiensville has been approved to receive the Community Development Investment grant, which in turn will help the Dailys through the reconstruction process. During the winter of 2020, a fire broke out at The Cheel, located at 105 S. Main St. The historic 130-year-old building was destroyed. A redevelopment plan for a new restaurant at the same site was approved by the Thiensville Plan Commission last spring. The redevelopment plan includes the Nepalese restaurant on the first floor and a concert and event venue -- dubbed the Phoenix Room -- on the second floor, with outdoor seating areas on both levels. The process of rebuilding The Cheel has been fraught with challenges, according to a redevelopment narrative submitted to WEDC. [caption id="attachment_425042" align="alignleft" width="350"] Barkha Limbu Daily and Jesse Daily[/caption] “This project for The Cheel has been full of speed bumps, from increased financing costs ($25,000) to finding a banking/lending partner because the COVID-19 pandemic decimated the restaurant industry, resulting in fewer lenders willing to fund our restaurant project despite our past and projected future success,” reads the redevelopment narrative. The Dailys have been approved for financing from Oak Creek-based Tri City National Bank, the Small Business Administration and the Milwaukee Economic Development Corp. to rebuild The Cheel. In addition to increased financing costs, the Dailys have faced issues including increased material costs, which have added over $200,000 to the total project cost, and the discovery that an elevator must be installed on the property, an endeavor that will cost $150,000, according to the redevelopment narrative submitted to WEDC. Those aren’t the only challenges the couple has faced. During the excavation of the old building structure, workers hit the underground water table sooner than anticipated, so the Dailys had to raise the height of the building another 24 inches. This resulted in another $20,000 in project costs. Total project costs are listed at $2.4 million, according to the redevelopment narrative. Once the project is completed, a total of 50 jobs are expected to be created at The Cheel, according to the redevelopment narrative. The construction project to rebuild The Cheel is ongoing. The project narrative states construction is estimated to be completed by next May, but a recent comment made by Jesse Daily on The Cheel’s Facebook page says the Dailys are now targeting a June 2023 completion date, pending any additional unforeseen setbacks. The Dailys were not available for comment.

Stay up-to-date with our free email newsletter

Keep up with the issues, companies and people that matter most to business in the Milwaukee metro area.

By subscribing you agree to our privacy policy.

No, thank you.
Exit mobile version