Miss Molly’s Owner Plans Sandwich Shop

Since opening Miss Molly’s Cafe & Pastry Shop in 2017, owner Molly Sullivan married her husband, Lee Rowley and welcomed a baby, Noelle. The growing family will soon expand to a second restaurant, located just a few doors down from the first.

The new restaurant, Sully’s Sandwiches, 9211 W. Center St., is slated to open in December in the same building as Miss Molly’s, 9201 W. Center St.

Sullivan dreamed of opening a cafe since she was 8 years old. A trained pastry chef, she worked in cafes and fine dining restaurants throughout the Midwest and the West Coast before opening Miss Molly’s five years ago. The cafe is located on the border between Wauwatosa and Milwaukee, just a few blocks from Sullivan’s childhood home.

Similar to the Miss Molly’s, the new venture would be a neighborhood spot with an emphasis on seasonal, scratch-made meals and bakery. While Miss Molly’s serves breakfast and lunch dishes, Sully’s would focus on lunch and dinner.

The additional kitchen space at the new restaurant would help Sullivan and Cassie Hersh, head chef at Miss Molly’s, to keep up with the increased demand for takeout, a lingering effect of the pandemic.

Back in 2020, Sullivan started making takeout dinner kits to help with business during the pandemic. Sully’s menu would revive some of the popular dishes from those kits, including Cubano and pulled pork sandwiches. The shop would offer both hot and cold sandwiches, with the option to substitute roast cauliflower for meat on any order.

Some of the breads for the sandwiches will be made on-site, including focaccia, brioche, flatbread and biscuits, Sullivan said. The restaurant will also have a cooler stocked with pre-made salads and sandwiches for grab-and-go service.

Like Miss Molly’s, Sully’s would be cashless. Customers would order from a self-serve kiosk, then pick up their meals from the counter.

The main idea, said Sullivan, is to be efficient and “try and make it as easy and quick as possible for people.”

Sullivan would transform the 1,200 square-foot space, formerly an office for Brew City Marketing, into a whimsical, family-friendly dining area. She noted plans to include bright colors like hot pink and a kids play area with toys and a chalkboard.

The new space will be a fun, communal atmosphere where you can bring your kids and not worry about keeping them occupied or quiet, she said.

An application for a food dealers license has not yet been filed for the business. The restaurant’s hours are still uncertain, but it will be open for lunch and dinner service.