Rise & Grind Plans 2 New Locations

Milwaukee Central Library. Photo by Laura Thompson.

Baboonie Tatum has fond memories of visiting the Milwaukee Public Library with her daughters when they were growing up. Soon, she’ll be able to make more — but this time, Tatum’s daughters will be the ones visiting her at Rise & Grind Cafe‘s newest location.

The business owner, who first launched Rise & Grind in 2017, was recently selected to operate the cafe space for the Central Library, 814 W. Wisconsin Ave. Tatum runs the cafe with her business partner, Larina Hightower.

“I’m excited because it’s kind of taking me back,” said Tatum, who responded to the library’s request for proposals to fill the cafe space once occupied by R Cafe.

Tatum, a former educator, added that she’s looking forward to spending more time at the library, which her work schedule previously prevented. “I’m really excited about being in this space,” she said.

The upcoming cafe will be located near the library’s used bookstore, The Bookseller. Its menu will be familiar to fans of Rise & Grind, though service will be more streamlined, Tatum said. Visitors can expect grab-and-go eats including pastries, breakfast sandwiches and salads, as well as coffee and other beverages. Gluten-free options will be available.

As Rise & Grind settles into its new location, Tatum said she hopes to foster community connection to the library through special events and other collaborations.

The cafe is expected to open in September. Hours are not yet set in stone, but will likely align with the library’s hours of operation, Tatum said, noting that tentative hours will be Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. until early afternoon.

An additional cafe is also in the works at Mitchell Street Arts, a soon-to-open arts collective located on the first floor of the Kunzelman Esser Lofts, 710 W. Historic Mitchell St. Like the library, the location holds significance for Tatum and Hightower, who are both passionate about arts and education.

“Both spaces kind of speak to who we are as people — we’re both educators and I’m really big on the art,” said Tatum, who noted that her daughters were involved in music and professional dance. “It’s nice to be a part of something that’s kind of who we are.”

The existing Rise & Grind Cafe will continue operations as usual at its Harambee location, 2737 N. Martin L King Jr Dr. Earlier this year, Tatum reopened the cafe after a three-year hiatus, offering an expanded menu, updated interior and new entertainment setup.

The business serves coffee, smoothies, breakfast and lunch sandwiches and other quick-service options throughout the week, with a special, all-you-can-eat soul food brunch on Saturdays. And yes, there’s mimosas.

Like most small businesses, Rise & Grind has been a labor of love for Tatum, but she continues to persevere through all of the highs and lows that come her way.

“With all of the struggles, it feels really good to finally get the spaces up and going the way we needed to,” Tatum said. “However, I’m going to say we need people to know we’re still here on King Drive and to come out and support us through the week.”

The cafe’s King Drive location is open Tuesday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Opening dates and hours of operation for the upcoming cafes will be released at a later date.