Given the low cost of living, excellent job opportunities, family-friendly activities, and a food scene centered on cheese and craft beer, it’s no surprise that Milwaukee residents are passionate about having fun. Milwaukee also has a flourishing music and arts scene, award-winning restaurants, lakefront museums, and vibrant nightlife. The celebration of history and tradition includes German cuisine, artisan beer, Friday fish fries, and various cultural activities. Milwaukee hosts hundreds of festivals each year. Summerfest, the city’s largest festival, lasts a week and a half and draws hundreds of musicians.

With so many reasons to be drawn to the city, the number of restaurants rises rapidly. If you’re planning to put up a restaurant in the area, here are some of the best contractors to consider.

Lechner Construction Services

04 Wilmont Dr., Waukesha, WI 53189

Lechner Construction Services is a family-owned and operated firm in Wisconsin with 25 years of construction industry experience. It specializes in designing and constructing commercial retail stores, bars and restaurants, and office spaces. Its previous projects have included restaurants and bars, retail spaces, strip malls, and offices, with most of its restaurant construction taking place in and around Milwaukee. Aside from these services, the company is open to discussing any commercial construction project that requires their creative abilities.

Lechner Construction Services is a full-service general contractor that provides a wide range of services to clients in Southeastern Wisconsin, the Midwest, and Texas, including owner’s representative, construction management, consulting, and custom design. The firm operates under the leadership of Jim Lechner as president, who also owns Lechner Custom Woodworks.

Corporate Contractors Inc.

711 Wells St., Ste. 120, Delafield, WI 53018

Corporate Contractors, Inc. (CCI) is a leading general contractor, and it prioritizes inspired design through purposeful construction that reflects a sensibility to the vision of its clients. Its clients in the greater Milwaukee area rely on it for restaurant, office, church, retail, residential, industrial, and entertainment projects.

CCI’s corporate values and Midwestern work ethic are influenced by its location in southern Wisconsin. Over the past four decades, the firm has completed thousands of construction projects locally and nationally, ranging from designing industrial sites and constructing new community assets to preserving cherished landmarks and renovating historic commercial buildings.

CCI holds affiliations with the Greater Beloit Chamber of Commerce and Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce. Its works were also featured by publications like The Daily Reporter – Milwaukee, Beloit Daily News, Brava Magazine, and Golf Inc. Magazine.

Keller, Inc.

W204 N11509 Goldendale Rd., Germantown, WI 53022

Keller, Inc. is an award-winning, single-source, design-build general contractor based in Kaukauna, Wisconsin, with offices in Madison, Milwaukee, Tomah, and Wausau. As an employee-owned business, the firm is a construction industry leader specializing in new construction, remodel, retrofit, and re-roofing projects. Keller, Inc. has the staff and expert knowledge to take projects from the early stages of design through the construction process, ensuring that the project is completed on time and within budget.

Keller, Inc. is a proud member of the Wisconsin Assisted Living Association, Wisconsin Bankers Association, Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce, Greater Wausau, Germantown, Oregon Area, and West Bend Area Chambers of Commerce. It has also been featured by The Daily Reporter, Contractor Magazine, Volume One Magazine, Greater Milwaukee Today, and Milwaukee Business News.

Hunzinger Construction Company

21100 Enterprise Ave., Brookfield, WI 53045

Hunzinger Construction is a family-run company serving Southeast Wisconsin since 1907. The company was founded in Iowa by brothers John, Frank, Fred, and Charles, who wanted to escape their farm lives. Hunzinger and Company is a New York-based law firm. 

It started small, with mule teams building one-room classrooms and cottages. The startup company had to do it all, from delivering goods to excavating basements.

In 1928, Frank and Fred Hunzinger moved to Milwaukee to start their own construction company: Hunzinger Construction Company. They took on various projects, including first building schools and churches, then offices and manufacturing plants. Frank and Fred’s perseverance and blossoming growth enabled the business to succeed and flourish after the Great Depression, completing projects from Minnesota to Texas.

With its Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)-accredited professionals, the firm remains fully committed to achieving industry excellence. Its values are centered on integrity, honesty, and ethical behavior to fully understand and exceed customer expectations.

KSW Construction

1100 John P Livesey Blvd., Verona, WI 53593

KSW Construction provides commercial construction services in Madison, Green Bay, Rhinelander, Verona, and Milwaukee. The firm has completed numerous outstanding projects in the restaurant, retail, recreational and wellness, and industrial sectors during its sixteen-year history. The company believes that customer satisfaction is the key to its success and strives to provide high-quality craftsmanship and unrivaled professional service at all stages of each project.

KSW aims to help its clients turn their visions into reality by maintaining open communication and close cooperation with its stakeholders to ensure no detail is overlooked. The firm’s expert design and construction team is committed to accurately understanding clients’ views and developing a structure that reflects their characters and lifestyles. The firm seeks continuous growth to perfect its operations and ensure an optimized and streamlined construction flow. 

KSW Construction is affiliated with many prestigious organizations, including ABC, the Verona Area Chamber of Commerce, BBB, and AGC.

Kelly Construction & Design, LLC

225 East St. Paul Ave., Ste. 205, Milwaukee, WI 53202

Kelly Construction & Design is a full-service general contractor with 30 years of experience. It builds commercial and residential projects worth up to $50 million for clients in Milwaukee, Chicago, Northern Indiana, and Southern Ohio. A large percentage of the firm’s revenue comes from repeat customers and referrals.

Kelly Construction, based in Chicago, Illinois, also offers cost-effective renewable energy solutions, such as site appraisal and feasibility studies and installation and commissioning. It is led by Holly Hawkins, who graduated from the Milwaukee School of Engineering with a bachelor’s degree in construction management.

Preconstruction services include scheduling, preliminary budgeting, value engineering, and on-site services. It can also provide a critical project management team and on-site personnel to ensure that the work is completed on schedule, within budget, and to the highest possible standard. Kelly Construction is a member of the Illinois Geothermal Alliance, and many of its employees are LEED certified.