Pete’s Fruit Market To Add Kitchen

 

Pete’s Fruit Market has plans to add “home cooked” grab-and-go meals at its location in the Bronzeville neighborhood.

The market, 2323 N. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr., is undergoing renovations for the addition, called Pete’s Kitchen, which is slated to open later this fall.

A 400-square-foot space at the back of the store is being remodeled to add a kitchen, additional shelving and coolers. The remodel will not expand the footprint of the existing store.

Pete’s Kitchen will include deli items and a variety of hot meals with an emphasis on healthy options, said Sam Cunningham of Pete’s Fruit Market.

The deli section will carry a variety of pre-made salads including Greek, Cobb and Caesar salads. Entrees including rotisserie chicken, greek chicken, fried chicken, carnitas, Souvlaki (greek chicken skewers), sausages, grilled fish, ribs and tips and chicken tenders will also be available. Sides would include grilled vegetables, collard greens, mac and cheese, cornbread and roasted or mashed potatoes. Desserts like apple cobbler and brownie sundae would also be on rotation.

The focus, said Cunningham, is to prioritize nutrition without sacrificing flavor. “We’re committed to health living and healthy foods for a community that has typically been deprived of these things,” he said.

Throughout the past weeks, Pete’s has been giving out samples of items that will be featured at Pete’s Kitchen. “I tell you what, it’s been an overwhelming support from our existing customers,” Cunningham said.

Cunningham has been involved with Pete’s Fruit Market since its beginning in 1976 in Waukegan, Illinois. Pete Tsitiridis opened the first Milwaukee location on the city’s South Side in 1993. The Bronzeville location is the newest addition. Opened in 2017, the store is run by Tsitiridis’ son, Teddy.

The site of the north side Pete’s was formerly a Walgreens. In 2013, a Dollar Tree store attempted to move into the building, but faced pushback from the community. In partnership with Milwaukee NAACP, area Alderwoman Milele A. Coggs advocated for a full-service grocery store, which resulted in Pete’s moving into the location. Today, the store provides fresh produce, maintains partnerships with community organizations and offers health-focused programming for surrounding neighborhoods.

Pete’s Kitchen may open as soon as late September, according to Cunningham, but construction delays may push that back several weeks. Pete’s Fruit Market will remain open throughout the duration of construction. Its hours are Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m.