MILWAUKEE — Milwaukee Chef Rosetta Bond has been cooking since she was a kid.
“My grandma started me cooking. I was always the kitchen,” Bond said.
As an adult, she now owns a restaurant just blocks away from where she grew up. It’s called 1700 Pull Up.
“Never in a million years did I think this would be my restaurant,” Bond exclaimed.
1700 Pull Up opened in November. It is one of 17 Black-owned restaurants featured in the 2023 Black Restaurant Week. It’s the eighth year of the event, celebrating Black-owned restaurants around Milwaukee.
According to MKE Black, a nonprofit promoting Black-owned businesses, there were 73 Black-owned restaurants in June of 2020. In April of 2023, there are more than 100.
For Bond, the week is a celebration of how far she has come.
“I started in my house with friends and family. They knew they could come get a meal,” Bond said.
From meals in her home, she went on to host pop-ups, selling her food around the community. In December of 2021, she bought the space where 1700 Pull Up is today.
They serve soul food, drinks, and other items. Some of the food is named after family members who taught her how to cook.
Bond said both the restaurant’s name and the decor were inspired by her own home.
“The color of this ceiling is the color in my house. My house has a lot of woodwork, and I wanted to make it feel at home,” Bond said, looking around the restaurant.
After years of hard work, she said she is thrilled to be in a space so close to home. She hopes to open a food truck in the future, selling the restaurant’s famous stuffed turkey legs.
“It’s a dream come true. Really, it’s a dream come true,” Bond smiled.
1700 Pull Up is located at 1848 W Fond Du Lac Ave.
Black Restaurant Week runs through Sunday, April 30. For a full list of participating restaurants, you can visit their website.
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