Finally Rebuilding After Fire, Owner Hopes for a New Restaurant in Brit Inn's Wake

On May 26, 2009, Byung Kuk Yun awoke to a telephone call from a detective informing him that the building he owned on N. Oakland Ave. was on fire.

The Brit Inn, occupying the south half of the buildings at 4473-79 N. Oakland Ave., burned to the ground in a fire later rule arson. Yun’s martial arts studio BK Yun's Black Belt Academy and the tenant to the north were spared.

More than two years later, construction workers are finally demolishing dilapidated features and erecting new walls on what Yun hopes will become a restaurant and turn around what has been an exhausting financial drain.

“It was really hard times, the most hard in my life,” Yun said. “I always think, what kind of crazy guys do this? After the fire, I was feeling really bad, but I still suspect that someone will admit to it. Maybe they will be out drinking and decide to come over and say, ‘I did it.’ I don’t know. I hope for that.”

Yun said he received insurance money for 12 months of revenue he would have received from a tenant, but the place has been empty for more than two years.

An empty unit isn’t cheap. Yun bought the building in 2006, and was still paying off a loan for it from U.S. Bank. And then there are taxes. 

In the reconstruction process, Yun said he faced many delays. First there was asbestos to remove, and then there was an empty oil drum found under the property that required contamination tests.

After the longest delay of all — winter — Yun said it took a long time to prepare plans and a contract for the reconstruction. In addition to rebuilding the Brit Inn portion of the building, Yun is putting a new unifying façade on the entire building.

“I’m a handyman, but this (and being a handyman) are very different,” Yun said. “Everything is learn and then do it.”

Yun commended village officials for their help navigating code restrictions and drawing up plans. Yun also received a grant from the village to fund half of his façade reconstruction.

Yun said the building should be complete in three month’s time, with a “white box” interior — just walls. When he finds a suitable tenant, they will plan interior construction together.

“Now I just pray for good weather,” Yun said.

Despite the fire’s lasting burden, Yun is dedicated to the location and looks forward to thriving again in Shorewood. Yun grew up in South Korea but has operated BK Yun's Blackbelt Academy in Shorewood since 1979.

Yun said he has already heard from some interested tenants who stopped by to ask about the place. He hasn’t chosen one, but he would like to see a restaurant there. 

“It was a restaurant before, so I guess that’s the best thing,” Yun said. “It was successful, so why not another one?”