It’s a disheartening twist for Milwaukee’s East Side as locally cherished eatery Beans & Barley prepares to shutter next month after decades of service, a statement from Alderman Brower revealed. The closure is not an isolated incident; Pomona Cider Co. is set to follow suit by year’s end, with numerous E. North Ave., according to the City of Milwaukee.
An affordability crisis, cited by Brower in a statement, has swept the area, marked by surging housing costs, pricier basic commodities, and most recently, tariffs from the past administration. This financial stranglehold has squeezed the wallets of consumers and the cash registers of small businesses alike – a worrying trend threatening the diversity of Milwaukee’s commercial landscape, as reported by the City of Milwaukee.
In Brower’s view, local businesses are succumbing to pressure from monolithic corporate entities due to a dual-threat: individuals grappling with personal financial strain and businesses that are equally struggling. “The struggles experienced by these businesses are another symptom of the unaffordability crisis we all face today,” Brower emphasized in the City of Milwaukee statement. Facing the reality of having to compete with giants on an uneven playing field, mom-and-pop shops are finding it increasingly challenging to keep their doors open…