Brunch restaurant Zisters to replace Penelope's diner in Elm Grove

Penelope's, the Greek family restaurant in Elm Grove, will close and a brunch restaurant called Zisters is to open in its place in spring.

Penelope Demakopoulos, who opened Penelope's in 2000, plans to retire, according to a Facebook post. She and her husband previously operated the former Zorba's in Brookfield for 30 years.

The last day Penelope's will be open will be March 25.

Dan Zierath, who is opening Zisters with his daughters, Gabbi and Betsi, said the new restaurant's name comes from combining Zierath and sisters. 

The Zierath Restaurant Group also operates Jackson's Blue Ribbon Pub in Wauwatosa and the Thirsty Duck mini-bowling bar in Wauwatosa and Sussex. The sisters are event coordinators for the group and have worked in the restaurants since Jackson's first opened six years ago.

Dan Zierath said he is in talks to open a Thirsty Duck in downtown Milwaukee, in 8,000 square feet in the Posner Building, 152 W. Wisconsin Ave.

"Downtown is going through a revitalization right now. I just want to be part of it," he said. The location also would provide the group with needed extra space for private events, especially during the holidays, he said.

In Elm Grove, the Zieraths' plans for remodeling Penelope's,13425 W. Watertown Plank Road, include adding garage doors on its north end that open to a 3,800-square-foot patio with a fire pit and soft furniture in addition to dining tables, if the village approves.

"It's just such a desirable location, right in the middle of Elm Grove," Dan Zierath said. The Zieraths all are Elm Grove residents.

He noted that Blue's Egg, the popular west side Milwaukee brunch restaurant 4 miles from Elm Grove, commands lengthy wait times for tables. "I know there's a need" for another brunch restaurant in the area, he said.

Zisters would serve brunch daily from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. On Friday and Saturday nights, the restaurant would open to serve a small-plate menu that changes frequently and includes vegan options. Zierath expects prices to range from $9 to $14 for brunch entrees and $7 to $13 for small plates.

Gabbi Zierath said she and her sister wanted to open a brunch restaurant like the ones they visited when traveling last year in Bali, in particular one called Sisterfields — with a clean, modern decor, where customers can hang out with fresh juice or a glass of Champagne. "We would go almost every day" of their three-week stay, she said.

Zierath said her slogan for Zisters is "Champagne is the new coffee." Besides coffee and espresso drinks, the restaurant would have sparkling wine, Mimosas and other brunch cocktails, plus a selection of wines to go with the nighttime menu.

Other plans for the 22-table Zisters include putting in a juice bar. "We try to stay on the healthier, organic side of things," Gabbi Zierath said, adding that the restaurant plans to use organic eggs from cage-free hens.

Dan Zierath said he hopes Zisters could open as soon as May 5, or by mid-May at the latest.

A wave of brunch restaurants have followed in Blue's Egg's path; several opened in the past year alone, including Toast in Walker's Point, Mimosa in Franklin and Sabrosa in Bay View.