MILWAUKEE - A 'food hall' will soon fill the old Oriental Drugs space on Milwaukee's east side.
Crossroads Collective is coming to Milwaukee and is scheduled to open in October on N. Farwell Ave. The food hall will provide multiple food choices, with six to seven "micro-restaurants" in the space.
A food hall can be compared to places like the Public Market, or 'Eataly' in Chicago. The vendors that will occupy Crossroads will be owned and operated individually. The businesses will share storage spaces, beverage services, and prep space, along with other things.
Crossroads will feature a few known vendors that already have a few locations, but it will also feature new startups. Additionally, there will be a main bar and a speakeasy that can be accessed from the Black Cat Alley.
New Land Enterprises selected the location for the project because it is one of the most recognized corners in Milwaukee. New Land is the company behind many new Milwaukee places such as Axe MKE and Sip & Purr.
Plans for the 7,000-square foot space, which is located at the 5-point corner of North, Farwell and Ivanhoe, have been in the works for over six months.
The team knew the value of the location and recognize the impact the previous companies had on the community. The location also used to be Oriental Drugs. Many referred to the location as a 'crossroads,' inspiring the name.
Tim Gokham, director at New Land Enterprises, stated in a release, "I knew Oriental Drugs was an institution. I underestimated how integral it was to the community, to people’s lives. It was something to everyone, and that’s when we understood why a food hall was the only correct choice. It’s difficult for a single restaurant to be many different things. But you get 6 different chef/owners into a space, and we think it’ll be magical. It’s the best tribute we can pay to Oriental Drugs."
