Three years after a fire, The Cheel in Thiensville has reopened

After years of rebuilding, The Cheel at 105 S. Main St. in downtown Thiensville will have a grand re-opening Dec. 1.

The Cheel, which was destroyed by a fire Nov. 8, 2020, quietly reopened last Wednesday, exactly three years later. The popular Nepalese-American restaurant held a soft re-opening for friends and family, according to a news release.

Jesse and Barkha Daily opened The Cheel in 2014 in a historic 130-year-old Queen Anne building. Barkha, who's also the chef, gained inspiration from her family's recipes and cooking techniques in Nepal.

In 2019, it made former Journal Sentinel dining critic Carol Deptolla's list of the top 50 Milwaukee area restaurants.

After the 2020 fire, the community came together to help when patrons Scott and Alison Joffe created a Facebook fundraiser that quickly surpassed its goal of $10,000. The fundraiser closed a few weeks later and more than 300 supporters raised $24,417.

In May, Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation awarded The Cheel with a $250,000 Community Development Investment grant.

Reservations can be made through thecheel.com/softopening.