![]() It’s difficult for a single restaurant to be many different things. It was something to everyone, and that’s when we understood why a food hall was the only correct choice. I underestimated how integral it was to the community, to people’s lives. Gokhman explained – “I knew Oriental Drugs was an institution. Said Gokhman, “Kristin has been amazing, not only as a creative powerhouse in marketing the East Side, but also with relevant expertise in the food and beverage world.”Īs the group started doing in depth research, they realized the importance of the location. The Chicago trip included Kristin Godfrey, who also serves as the executive director of the East Side Business Improvement District, lending her operational and marketing expertise to the venture. Both would accompany Gokhman to Chicago and Seattle, and it was in Seattle that they came up with the name Crossroads Collective. To my most pleasant surprise, Justin and Dan offered to manage the concept for us.” That was the birth of Cordial Consulting, a restaurant consultancy formed by Carlisle and Frame. “I was speaking with Justin Carlisle, asking him if he knew anyone. Back in Milwaukee, however, finding an operator for the food hall proved challenging. A trip to New York last fall marked the first of 3 trips (subsequent ones to Chicago and Seattle would follow), as Gokhman explored different operating models. The concept made sense, and Gokhman started paying attention to food hall models as he traveled. This brings each vendor’s startup costs, traditionally in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, down significantly, and also creates some efficiencies in operating costs. Crossroads is also much smaller (some have started calling halls under 10,000 SF micro food halls), and maximizes efficiency by sharing cooking, prep, cold and dry storage, as well as beverage service, in a commissary style kitchen. Unlike some of the larger food halls operated by one entity, the six to seven vendors will all be operated by individual owners. Some think of concepts like Eataly in Chicago or New York, or the Public Market. The food hall movement has been sweeping the country, but a specific definition of what a food hall is doesn’t exist. He started researching the idea and liked what he found. A few people had mentioned the concept of a food hall to Gokhman. “A 7,000 SF restaurant requires an experienced operator a 7,000 SF restaurant in this location requires a visionary operator.”Īfter meeting with multiple restaurant owners, Gokhman realized that he wasn’t finding a partner who shared his vision for the space. “Once Rosati’s failed, we understood the need for a thoughtful concept and execution” says Tim Gokhman, director at New Land Enterprises. The challenge of developing Milwaukee’s first food hall, however, would require even more creativity. ![]() ![]() New Land Enterprises had recently signed leases with Axe MKE (Milwaukee’s first axe throwing bar) and Sip & Purr (Milwaukee’s first cat café), building on the momentum of last year’s announcement of Milwaukee Film taking over the Oriental Theater this summer. The prominent corner is one of the most recognized, and storied, corners in the city of Milwaukee. The plans to activate the 7,000 SF retail space at the 5-point corner of North, Farwell and Ivanhoe had been in the works for over half a year. Farwell Avenue), will soon be home to Crossroads Collective, a unique culinary-driven food hall with multiple micro-restaurants. The corner of Farwell and North Avenues, formerly Oriental Drugs, and most recently, Rosati’s (at 2238 N. New Land Enterprises is thrilled to announce a new business on a key crossroads of the East Side and Milwaukee. Photo from the East Side Business Improvement District. ![]()
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