Kyote’s expansion comes with a bigger menu

Don’t let the contractors’ trucks in the parking lot fool you — Kyote’s Bar and Grill in Belgium is open for business.

After three weeks, the business is back up and running in the recently completed addition.

Work is continuing in the original building, and owner Kyle Simpson expects that will be completed by October, when a grand opening will be held.

“Being closed for three weeks in the restaurant business is hard,” Simpson said.

“But it’s been worth it. It’s pretty exciting.”

The decision to expand the business, adding 2,700 square feet to the building — basically doubling its size — was made in part out of a desire to offer the things the community is seeking, Simpson said, including a semi-private dining area ideal for corporate events, family dinners, tastings and more as well as patio dining in an area where dogs are welcome. 

As a matter of fact, they now have a doggie menu for canine diners named “Chef Oliver’s Menu” after Simpson’s St. Bernard.

People had been asking about whether he could cater events or if they could rent a space there, he said.

“It was time to create something for the community so they have place to go,” Simpson said.

He wanted to expand the menu, elevating the food but not too much.

“It’s elevated bar food,” he said. “I want to keep the bar atmosphere — people in Wisconsin like that — but make it supper club-esque. Good food that’s fun to share and eat.”

That includes rib eye steaks cut to order and fresh ingredients.

“Everything we do is fresh,” Simpson said, with the exception of some frozen appetizers.

“I think we’re looking to add some more healthy options,” he said, adding they can also provide vegan and gluten-free options for diners.

Communal dining experiences are part of the experience. One addition to the menu are grazing boards that can be sized for a group and shared, as well as pasta dishes and homemade pizza. French onion soup will be offered daily.

Kyote’s will continue to offer its traditional favorites, such as its burgers, he added.

To handle the expanded menu and catering duties, the kitchen at Kyote’s has expanded significantly, with a walk-in freezer, walk-in cooler and beer cooler.

The kitchen before was tiny, Simpson said, and now it’s five times the size “at least. It’s nice not to be on top of each other when you’re working in the kitchen.”

It was designed by the head chef, Bella Koepke, who has been with Kyote’s from the start, although she stepped away for a year to work on a goat farm before returning, Simpson said.

“The place wouldn’t be what it is without her,” he said.

When completed, Kyote’s new bar in the semi-private room will wrap around and encompass the former bar in the older part of the building. There will be new furnishings and plenty of space for people to linger.

“A lot of places try to get as many people in as possible,” Simpson said. “I don’t like that. I don’t like to feel like I’m on top of the next table.”

The indoor volleyball courts are getting spruced up, and Simpson said leagues will probably run five days a week.

He said he plans to continue to offer many of the things that have kept people coming back through the years, such as the monthly meat raffle to benefit local charities.

The decor is industrial but with a warmth and a sense of whimsy.

“A lot of the stuff is a throwback to the old Kyote’s,” Simpson said.

A large framed Yeti poster that was prominent in the former space now hangs above a cooler in the bar and Kyote’s collection of can koozie’s hangs above the bar, with plenty of space for new additions.

Simpson said he called on local businesses for help throughout much of the renovations, as well as students at the Rocket Academy who welded the bases for the new high-top tables.

“It’s kind of cool the kids did it,” Simpson said. “They get to see the skills they’ve learned in the real world.”

For Simpson, the new and improved Kyote’s is the next step of a long-held dream of working in the hospitality industry. He noted that when he was about 16, he wrote a paper outlining his dream of opening a nightclub.

He started in the restaurant business about 20 years ago, working as a dishwasher when he was 19. He worked his way up to prep cook, then began bartending at places throughout Milwaukee.

“I learned a lot,” he said, adding he eventually moved to Bartolotta Restaurants’ Rumpus Room.

In 2018, he changed lanes and opened Kyote’s in the former Bic’s Place in Belgium.

He operated a food truck for a few years, he said, but operating both that and Kyote’s got to be too much.

“It was hard, but it allowed me to make the food I want,” he said. “It was about being able to have the freedom to go to an event and make what I wanted.”

He’s brought that new attitude to the new Kyote’s.

“It’s been fun,” he said. “It’s just a nice place to go. I wanted to create the place this community deserves.”