New Schlitz Park contract drops coffee shop operator
Schlitz Park has dropped its long-time coffee shop operator — an affiliate of a nonprofit small business lender.
Coffee With A Conscience, the 24-year-old social business venture of the Wisconsin Women’s Business Initiative Corp., closed its cafe at 1555 N. RiverCenter Drive after the downtown Milwaukee business park’s owners ended an operating agreement with WWBIC.
Coffee With A Conscience featured locally roasted coffee drinks along with bakery and craft food/ beverage products made by area women- and minority-owned businesses.
Its profits supported WWBIC, which provides loans and other entrepreneurial support for women, veterans, people of color and low-income people.
Schlitz Park ended its agreement with WWBIC as a result of contracting with F Street Hospitality to reopen the Brown Bottle restaurant, and operate all food, beverage, catering and events at the business park.
That new contract with F Street Hospitality also resulted in dropping Davians Catering firm’s services at Schlitz Park.
“We are grateful for the integral role they have played in serving Schlitz Park tenants,” the business park’s owners said, in a statement. “We wish both businesses continued success on all current and future endeavors.”
Schlitz Park was sold in 2019 by Milwaukee developers Gary Grunau and Scott Sampson to Detroitbased Crestlight Capital and Fort Worth, Texasbased TPG Real Estate.
WWBIC is exploring new locations or business opportunities for Coffee WIth A Conscience, which served organic fair-trade coffee along with buying local food products.
“Over the years, we offered support and access to new markets to numerous micro-businesses through our cafe as well as through our catering and gift box operations,” said Wendy Baumann, WWBIC president and chief executive officer.
“We have always been about the ‘buy local’ movement before it was the ‘in’ thing to do,” Baumann said, in a statement.