The Shorewood Insider

'Shop Small' Goes Big in Shorewood

Shorewood retailers, restaurants and pubs reported steady traffic and more during Black Friday and Small Business Saturday, 2012

Patch tracked down busy entrepreneurs on Monday to find out how Small Business Saturday went in Shorewood, and the response was a unanimous “Great!” followed by a Monday-errand-running, “I have to do a million things today!”  Shorewood staples such as the Garden Room, Anaba Tea Room, Shop, Goldi’s, Harry’s, Oakcrest, William Ho’s, Harley’s had steady traffic over the weekend. According to Doug McDonald, the general manager at the Garden Room and Anaba Tea Room, traffic was up compared to last year. “We reserve our big holiday sale for the Shorewood BID Stop, Shop and Restore! holiday event on Dec. 8. That being said ... our Friday to Sunday sales this year increased 18% over last year for both stores. This is the first year we promoted a ‘…

•  3 Comments
• Photos (1)

Jenny Heyden

9:42 am on Tuesday, November 27, 2012

The Waxwing received the “Best New Retailer” award from Shepherd Express just days before the big weekend, and saw steady traffic as well at the store and at the booth at Art vs. Craft downtown.   more ›

Small Business Owners Invest in Communities

The owners of small businesses throughout the Metro Milwaukee area say it works for them to be part of the fabric of their communities.

Small businesses work for a strong community. The days of Henry Ford coming into a community to build a plant and hire 25,000 workers are gone. But the entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well on a much smaller scale. From neighborhood diners and booksellers with a handful of employees to niche operations with dozens of employees, small business owners have found ways to be profitable while strengthening the community in which they operate. Paul Schueller, CEO and part owner of Franklin Energy Services in Port Washington, Wis. was an engineer for Wisconsin Natural Gas Company.  Schueller saw an opportunity and struck out on his own.  “It’s more cost effective for energy companies to find ways to improve energy efficiencies than to build …

• Photos (2)

Amstar Gas Station Will Replace Harder's Shell Station

The former Harder's service station will be transformed into a larger convenience store that features a coffee counter and walk-in coolers.

The former Harder's Shell station is going to be transformed into Milwaukee's first Amstar gas station and convenience store. Harder's Shell station, located at 303 E. Hampton Road, closed on Oct. 1 after 29 years in business at that location, and before that, 22 years at Lydell Avenue and Hampton Road. Fahim Beg, the gas station's new owner, plans to convert the three-bay service center at the west end of the building into a convenience store that will include a coffee counter, walk-in cooler, cash register and a bathroom. The convenience store will not serve liquor or beer. Beg originally wanted to be open 24 hours a day, but the village's standard retail operating hours prohibit businesses from being open past 10 p.m. Beg agreed to …

•  8 Comments
• Photos (1)

A 'Sweet' Dream Come True

Ashley Weber spent her childhood baking alongside her grandmother and now uses those lessons as her lifework with her North Oakland Avenue bakery Miss Cupcake.

Inside a cozy kitchen, a little girl named Ashley and her sister sneak spoonfuls of sugar out of their favorite drawer. When their grandmother returns to the kitchen, the girls spend another day learning how to bake goodies from scratch. Ashley Weber grew up in West Bend, Wisconsin. She spent her childhood baking alongside her "grammy." And she's now using those lessons as her lifework. In late summer 2012, Weber opened her first bakery: Miss Cupcake Boutique Bakery in Shorewood, 3801 N. Oakland Ave. Weber ran her cupcake business out of her home for five years before opening Miss Cupcake. “When a friend asked me if there was anything in the world I could do, I said I’d open a bakery,” Weber said. “So then it kind of just snow balled from …

• Photos (1)

Come for the Tea, Stay for the Art At Anaba

Shorewood's Anaba Tea Room offers a low-key hangout with high culture art, along with unique food menu and a wide range of tea.

The Anaba Tearoom on Capitol Drive in Shorewood offers a low-key hangout with high culture art. The locally-owned business provides a unique food menu and a wide range of tea. Anaba is located in the basement of the Garden Room shop, just east of the intersection of Oakland Ave. and Capitol Drive.

•  1 Comment
• Photos (1)

Greg

7:57 pm on Thursday, November 15, 2012

How's the parking?   more ›

Strong Small Businesses Make Communities Better

Local business improvement district leaders say a thriving small business climate makes the whole community stronger, but it takes support from residents, the government and business owners to make things work.

Thriving businesses are one-third of a triumvirate of a vibrant community. “You need good schools, a quality housing stock and a solid commercial area,” said Tim Ryan, president of Shorewood’s Business Improvement District.  Ryan is invested in all three. He and his family live in Shorewood, his daughter goes to school in Shorewood and he is the president and owner of Harleys: The Store for Men on Oakland Avenue in Shorewood. Small businesses line the commercial corridor that runs east and west along Capital Drive and north and south along Oakland Avenue, Ryan said. “Unlike many small communities, our business district is spread out on two thoroughfares.” Small businesses, like Harleys, are invested in a community the way national chains …

•  8 Comments
• Photos (2)

David Tatarowicz

5:09 pm on Tuesday, November 13, 2012

@Ab Fab You make some very good points and more importantly ask some very good questions. I noted that Ryan said " thriving small businesses reduce the tax burden for homeowners and buoys home values." which is just not true. Property tax rates are the same for commercial property as it is for residential property. In Wisconsin, unlike some other states, the local communities get no share of the …   more ›

Camp Bar Slated to Open Nov. 17

Shorewood's little taste of northern Wisconsin will set up camp in a couple weeks at 4044 N. Oakland Ave.

Shorewood's little taste of "up north," Camp Bar, is set to pitch its tent on North Oakland Avenue on Nov. 17. Construction is wrapping up at 4044 N. Oakland Ave., across the street from the new LightHorse 4041 development, and the new bar promises to invoke the feeling up a northern Wisconsin cabin. It will feature unique architecture and woodwork, complete with taxidermy on the walls. Camp Bar has teamed up with Falbo Bros. to offer pizza, and owner Paul Hackbarth has said he plans to offer sandwiches as well, according to the bar's website. Drink prices should be line with other area bars. As part of a grand opening promotion, the bar will offer drink specials that weekend. Camp Bar will be open Monday through Friday, 3 p.m. until bar …

•  6 Comments
• Photos (2)