1700 Pull Up

Rosetta Bond wanted to establish a neighborhood restaurant where she could provide good quality food to the local community.

With 1700 Pull Up, she’s done just that.

Located on West Fond Du Lac Avenue in Milwaukee, the restaurant opened last year and offers dishes inspired by Bond’s own family recipes. They include turkey legs, pan-seared lamb chops, pot roast and mac and cheese.

Bond grew up in the Lindsay Heights neighborhood and still lives there. She learned to cook from her grandmother, who was one of the first African-Americans to open a store near 20th and Center streets.

Several companies played key roles in making 1700 Pull Up come together. They include The Valentine Group, which served as general contractor on the project, and HGA.

The project was a renovation of an existing bar and restaurant located in an historic building. The design preserves the historic character while upgrading some functional issues, giving it a new flare that reflects the soul food theme.

A new color scheme supplemented extensive historic wood. New banquette seating, light fixtures and ceiling fans also helped upgrade the space.

The most significant change was a replacement of the existing bar top. The original top only hung over the face of the bar wall by a few inches and matched the foot rail below. The new extended top provides a comfortable dining experience.

Bond’s “business model focuses on hiring through an equitable lens, including formerly incarcerated BIPOC individuals that most organizations won’t invest in,” said Lyssa Olker, associate vice president at HGA. “Her resolution to uplifting underserved and underrepresented individuals in our community is an inspiration.”