Milwaukee, WI

Outside the RNC, small Milwaukee businesses and their regulars tried to salvage a sluggish week

Published

1 year ago

July 20, 2024

Outside the RNC, small Milwaukee businesses and their regulars tried to salvage a sluggish week

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Jay Nelson was standing outside the convenience store he manages in downtown Milwaukee when one of his regular customers walked by on her daily stroll around the neighborhood.

“I’ve been telling people to come and buy even just a bottle of wine,” she said, stretching out her arms. “I hope it helps.”

Pulling her in for a hug, Nelson said they needed all the help they could get.

The store he has managed for nearly a decade, Downtown Market & Smoke Shop, was among the many businesses sealed off by tall metal fencing for the 2024 Republican National Convention, a sprawling footprint that shut down portions of the city’s downtown for more than a week.

For small businesses like Downtown Market, the RNC didn’t deliver a decisive victory, instead hindering sales despite earlier promises that it would bring an economic boost.

“I want you to take all your money to Milwaukee, spend it that week, and leave it in Milwaukee,” Mayor Cavalier Johnson said two years ago at the RNC’s summer meeting where it was announced that the city would host the GOP’s national convention.

But Samir Saddique, owner of Downtown Market and the neighboring Avenue Liquor, said the convention brought “a lot of nothing.” Traffic and sales took a nose dive soon after the fencing went up in front of the stores. By Thursday, the RNC’s final day, the liquor store had made just 10% of its usual sales, he said.

“We’re barricaded away from the rest of the world,” Saddique said.

Claire Koenig, a spokesperson for Visit Milwaukee, which promotes the city as a tourism destination, said economic impact reports will likely take three months to compile.

Across the Milwaukee River, which marked the eastern edge of the RNC secure zone, just one seat was taken at the bar inside Elwood’s Liquor & Tap during their Wednesday happy hour, which is usually a reliably busy night for the red-booth bar near Fiserv Forum where the convention’s main stage was housed.

“Everybody was promised that this was going to be a giant moneymaker for businesses,” bar manager Sam Chung, 30, said. “So it’s strange seeing how much it’s actually killed business for a lot of people outside the perimeter.”

Even their most loyal customers hadn’t stopped by this week, Chung said.

“They don’t even want to come down here because it’s obviously a mess to get here,” she said, adding that she thought “a big part of it is that a lot of our regulars are Democrats.”

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Milwaukee is the deepest blue city in Wisconsin, a key swing state.

Adam Buker, a 21-year-old barista at a coffee shop near one of the convention’s exits, which leads attendees onto a wide-open street, said that all week he had been playing music by queer artists as his own protest.

Yet the door kept swinging open at Canary Coffee Bar.

“It 100% has to do with our location,” Buker said Thursday as he packed espresso grounds for a cortado, with a Frank Ocean track playing in the background.

Though it was outside the secure zone, the cafe’s glass storefront and buttery yellow sidewalk seating weren’t obstructed by the fencing like Saddique’s liquor and convenience stores were. RNC attendees also didn’t have to cross the river to get to the coffee shop, unlike Elwood’s.

After closing this week, Buker said he had been spending his cash tips at some of the struggling bars around the convention’s perimeter.

“From one service worker to another,” he said. “Spread the love.”

As Buker’s final shift during RNC week was coming to an end Thursday evening, a last-minute party outside Saddique’s convenience store was just underway. Saddique and Nelson, the manager, hoped catered tacos and ice-cold green tea flowing from orange coolers would bring customers into the stores that have been open for 20-plus years, surviving a recession and a global pandemic.

Debra Lampe-Revolinski, who has lived in the building adjacent to Saddique’s businesses for 15 of those years, said she pitched the idea for the party earlier in the week, when she realized the expected boost in business would not materialize for her friends.

She knew Saddique and Nelson went to great lengths preparing for the RNC, having seen them hard at work for weeks while they remodeled parts of the stores, she said.

“And then there was just this deflation because the stores were blocked out by those tall metal fences,” she said. “It was so uninviting.”

By the time Trump took center stage Thursday to formally accept the GOP nomination, Lampe-Revolinski said the party, originally aimed at bringing in business, instead had turned into a celebration of surviving the week.

“If anything, this week strengthened our little community on this block to support its local businesses,” she said.

___

Associated Press writer Todd Richmond contributed from Madison, Wisconsin.

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Milwaukee, WI

Behind Milwaukee’s recent restaurant closures

Published

2 hours ago

December 20, 2025

Press Room

Behind Milwaukee’s recent restaurant closures

Milwaukee’s dining community is grappling with a recent string of restaurant closures that includes longtime neighborhood fixtures and newer concepts. The losses have sparked disappointment among diners and raised broader questions about why even popular locations and prime riverfront spots are struggling to survive.

On Milwaukee’s Lori Fredrich told WTMJ’s Adam Roberts that restaurant owners are increasingly speaking candidly about the realities of running a business, using social media to share financial pressures and warn customers when closure may be imminent. The shift marks a departure from past practices, when restaurants often closed quietly without explanation.

With January and February historically among the toughest months for restaurants, local leaders are urging residents to buy local. Programs like Visit Milwaukee’s Buy Local Bonus aim to provide short-term relief, but many in the industry worry about what the year ahead may bring.

Hear more about this story on WTMJ’s Reporter’s Notebook, on Sundays at 10 am or wherever you get your podcasts.

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Milwaukee, WI

‘We’re still struggling’: Milwaukee mom seeks help after historic flooding as Christmas approaches

Published

14 hours ago

December 20, 2025

Press Room

‘We’re still struggling’: Milwaukee mom seeks help after historic flooding as Christmas approaches

MILWAUKEE — Wisconsin has confirmed a new 24-hour rainfall record after more than a foot of rain fell in Milwaukee during historic summer flooding, but for some families like Victoria Kiepert’s, the damage never ended.

The August 9th and 10th storms brought 14-and-a-half inches of rain to northwest Milwaukee in just 24 hours, now officially the most rain ever recorded in a single day in Wisconsin. Behind that historic number are families still trying to rebuild as Christmas approaches.

“We lost all of our stuff in the basement,” Kiepert said.

TMJ4

Victoria Kiepert lost everything in the floods in August.

Floodwaters damaged Kiepert’s northside home, destroying nearly everything her family owned. She applied for help, but says months later, recovery is still falling on her shoulders.

“Beds, appliances, all that stuff, kids’ clothes, TVs, everything,” Kiepert said.

The Milwaukee mother, who cares for five children, says her family was left homeless for two weeks after the flooding.

Victoria Kiepert cares for five people in her home, she says she needs beds, clothing and dressers for her kids. — Victoria cares for five people in her home, she says she needs beds, clothing and dressers for her kids.

“We had to move, and I couldn’t find a house right away, so we were homeless for two weeks, and then we moved and still don’t have the things we need,” Kiepert said.

Watch: Milwaukee mom seeks help after historic flooding as Christmas approaches

Milwaukee mom seeks help after historic flooding as Christmas approaches

Climate experts say the storms were unprecedented, with rain falling one to three inches an hour for several hours, overwhelming basements, streets, and sewer systems. Radar estimates show 10 to 12 inches fell across northern Milwaukee and northeast Waukesha counties, confirming the devastation was widespread.

Kiepert says she and her kids have to sleep on air mattresses, and the holidays only add more pressure to an already overwhelming situation.

“People think that after people get FEMA money, it’s just done and over with, and that should be enough, but it’s really not because it takes months, even years, sometimes when you’re starting all over,” Kiepert said.

She’s unsure how she will provide gifts for her kids this Christmas, her family still needs basic necessities months after the flooding.

Victoria's family is hoping for a Christmas miracle. — Victoria Kiepert’s family is hoping for a Christmas miracle.

“We still need beds, dressers, kids’ clothing, a lot of stuff,” Kiepert said.

As Wisconsin marks a new chapter in climate history, families like Kiepert’s say recovery can’t stop at statistics, especially as Christmas approaches.

“This year’s really hard, because mostly because of the flood, cause all the stuff we lost, I have to buy them new stuff, because that money isn’t available for Christmas,” Kiepert said.

The flooding has made this Christmas particularly challenging for Kiepert’s family, including her youngest daughter experiencing her first Christmas.

“This is my daughter’s first Christmas, it would help for all my kids but mainly for her, to make like a Christmas miracle for them,” Kiepert said.

Despite the hardships, Kiepert maintains perspective on what matters most during the holidays.

“Sometimes it’s not about the gifts, it’s about being stable and having family around,” Kiepert said.

As Victoria’s family continues to rebuild, community support can make a real difference. A GoFundMe is available for those who wish to donate money or provide much-needed household items. If you can donate any of the furniture items she seeks, her email is Victoria.kiepert@icloud.com, or you can reach out to me by email at gideon.verdin@tmj4.com, and I will connect you with Victoria.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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Milwaukee, WI

Tips for Milwaukee Mitchell holiday travelers: Don’t bring wrapped gifts

Published

1 day ago

December 19, 2025

Press Room

Tips for Milwaukee Mitchell holiday travelers: Don’t bring wrapped gifts

Security officials at Milwaukee’s Mitchell International Airport offered advice for passengers navigating the busy holiday travel season this December.

Tim Goodman, Wisconsin assistant federal security director at the Transportation Security Administration, said Dec. 19 that the agency is prepared for high passenger volume at Milwaukee Mitchell in the next two weeks.

Goodman said the airport expects to process as many as 12,000 travelers during the busiest holiday travel days. These dates are projected to see the most traffic:

Sunday, Dec. 21
Monday, Dec. 22
Tuesday, Dec. 23
Sunday, Dec. 28
Monday, Dec. 29
Tuesday, Dec. 30

Here’s what to know about holiday travel at Milwaukee Mitchell this year:

Arrive early, especially for morning flights from Mitchell Airport

Goodman recommended travelers arrive no later than 90 minutes before their flight takes off, and longer if they’re boarding early morning flights.

Mornings are the busiest time of day for the airport, Goodman said.

“We are at capacity at the early morning hours,” he said. “We may see as many as 2,000 passengers going out before 7 a.m. on our busiest days.”

Don’t forget your Real ID when traveling through Mitchell

This is also the first winter holiday season after TSA began enforcing Real ID requirements for domestic flights. Starting on May 7, 2025, all domestic passengers must present a Real ID-compliant drivers license or other other acceptable forms of identification.

Earlier this month, TSA announced it will charge passengers $45 if they do not present a Real ID or other accepted identification starting Feb. 1, 2026.

In Wisconsin, Real ID-compliant drivers licenses are marked with a star in the upper right corner. More information about how to obtain a Real ID is available on the Wisconsin Department of Transportation’s website.

Goodman said 97% of Wisconsin passengers already have a Real ID. Those who don’t have proper identification will see longer waits and additional screening at security checkpoints.

A list of acceptable identification is available on TSA’s website.

Some holiday items may not get through security at Mitchell

Goodman said some common holiday items should not be put in carry-on bags since security officials struggle to open and inspect them.

Those items include snow globes and wrapped gifts. Goodman recommended any gifts instead be put in a gift bag.

Goodman also said passengers should completely empty bags before packing them for a flight. It’s common for travelers to forget to remove prohibited items in their bag, only to find themselves stopped at security checkpoints.