Buona brings Chicago’s original Italian beef to Oak Creek

Family-owned brands bring beloved Chicago food classics to bustling Milwaukee suburb

OAK CREEK, WI (August 3, 2026) — Buona (Bow’nuh), the family-owned restaurant group behind Chicago’s original Italian beef, will open its first Milwaukee-area restaurant on Tuesday, August 11, at 8767 S. Howell Ave. in Oak Creek. The location also features The Original Rainbow Cone, the legendary 1920s ice cream shop known for its five-flavor cone, offering Wisconsin guests a taste of two regional food traditions under one roof.

The restaurant is owned and operated by franchisees Karl Kulhanek and Joe Marchionna, accomplished entrepreneurs and Chicago natives who saw Oak Creek’s continued residential and commercial growth as the ideal opportunity to bring the Chicago classics they know and love to southeastern Wisconsin. Kulhanek owns multiple businesses spanning construction and property management, while Marchionna brings more than 20 years of restaurant industry experience to the partnership. Located along Howell Avenue across from Oak Creek High School, the 4,800-square-foot restaurant seats 87 guests indoors and 38 more across two distinct outdoor patios, with a drive-thru for guests on the go.

“Our family has loved Buona for years, and opening the first Milwaukee-area location is a proud moment for us,” said franchisee Karl Kulhanek. “With our longstanding ties to Wisconsin, we knew Oak Creek was the right place to share an authentic taste of Chicago. We’re excited to become part of the community and introduce guests to the quality and traditions that have made both Buona and Rainbow Cone favorite destinations for generations.”

For more than four decades, Buona has served authentic Chicago-style Italian beef prepared the same way the city’s signature sandwich has been made since its invention in the early 1930s. While some larger restaurant brands have moved away from the original process, relying on shortcuts and even additives, the Buonavolanto family still slow-roasts its beef to produce the sandwich’s famously flavorful all-natural gravy — the foundation of what Buona calls its “Better Beef” standard.

While Italian beef remains the star of the menu, guests will also find a full lineup of Chicago favorites including Italian sausage, beef and sausage combos, meatball sandwiches, Chicago-style hot dogs, burgers, fresh pasta, salads, pizza, chicken sandwiches and protein bowls, along with a selection of beer and wine. Rainbow Cone completes the experience with its iconic five-flavor cone and other frozen treats.

To celebrate opening day, the first 500 guests on August 11 will receive a mystery envelope containing a prize redeemable on a future visit. Five lucky guests will win Free Beef for a Year, five more will receive Free Rainbow Cone for a Year, while others will uncover prizes including free Italian beef sandwiches, cheese fries, shakes and Rainbow Cones.

“Wisconsin has been an exciting growth market for Buona, and we’re thrilled to bring our first restaurant to the Milwaukee area with partners who share our commitment to quality and hospitality,” said Joe Buonavolanto III, Executive Vice President of The Buona Companies. “Karl and Joe understand what makes Buona special, and we’re confident they’ll introduce a whole new community to the authentic Chicago traditions that have defined our family for more than 40 years.”

The Oak Creek opening marks another milestone in The Buona Companies’ continued expansion beyond Illinois while bringing two iconic Chicago brands together under one roof. As the company’s first Milwaukee-area location, the restaurant introduces Wisconsin diners to Buona’s signature Italian beef alongside one of Chicago’s most recognizable desserts.

Address: 8767 S. Howell Ave., Oak Creek, WI 53154
Hours: Sunday – Wednesday from 10:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Thursday – Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to midnight
Phone number: (414) 432-2920

About Buona Beef:
Buona Beef was founded in 1981 in Berwyn, Illinois, when Joe and Peggy Buonavolanto opened their first restaurant serving authentic Italian beef made with their secret spice blend. They learned the cooking method from some of the earliest Italian beef producers and beef stands in the city and have remained true to the original process through decades of growth and expansion. Today, Buona stands as the largest family-owned Italian beef restaurant group and producer in the country, with more than thirty locations across the Midwest and beyond. Led by third-generation Buonavolantos, the brand remains rooted in the values it was built on: quality, consistency, and a deep respect for Chicago’s culinary traditions.

Buona’s signature Italian beef is still prepared the original way, using all-natural ingredients and a slow-roasting process that creates its rich, flavorful gravy — the same cooking method that has defined Chicago’s signature sandwich for nearly a century. For more information, visit www.buona.com, and follow along on Instagram and Facebook.

About The Original Rainbow Cone
The Original Rainbow Cone is known for the extraordinary flavors and textures that have made its world-famous five-flavor cone a 100-year tradition. The shop also serves handspun shakes, ice cream cakes and sandwiches, mini donuts, traditional scoops, sundaes and other nostalgic treats, as well as hand-packed quarts available in-store, for local delivery and nationwide shipping. Rainbow Cone also offers its Rainbow Rewards loyalty program, where guests receive $5 for signing up, $5 during their birthday month and five points for every dollar spent.

Founded in 1926, Rainbow Cone quickly earned its place as one of America’s most recognizable ice cream shops, defined by its signature sliced-and-stacked five-flavor cone. With nearly 30 permanent locations across the Midwest, California, Florida and Michigan, Rainbow Cone is on a mission to sweeten new markets nationwide. For more information about Rainbow Cone, visit www.rainbowcone.com or follow the rainbow on Instagram, Facebook and X.