New Cafe Opening at City Building
RCW's Cafe will replace Aladdin's City Cafe as operator of cafeteria space.
Site of Aladdin’s City Cafe, 841 N. Broadway. Photo taken Dec. 8, 2022 by Sophie Bolich.
After seven years of fueling city workers with breakfast, coffee, lunch and snacks, Azmi Alaeddin will close Aladdin’s City Cafe next month. The restaurant operated in the basement of the Frank P. Zeidler Municipal Building, 841 N. Broadway, which connects to Milwaukee City Hall via a tunnel.
Alaeddin also closed Aladdin’s All Aboard Cafe, which was located at Milwaukee Intermodal Station, earlier this year. Shortly after, he made the decision not to renew his lease in the downtown building, and told Urban Milwaukee that he will be “passing on the torch.”
It won’t be a far reach — incoming operator Rhonda Carter Watson is the current manager for Aladdin Taste of the East/Pitaworks, another concept by Alaeddin located at the Milwaukee Public Market. She has held the position since 2006.
Watson, who was selected from a pool of RFP applicants, plans to open RCW’s Cafe, a new concept that Alaeddin said will “carry on Aladdin’s essence” while “adding a new flair to the location.
“Rhonda has been an integral part of the Aladdin’s family for over thirty years,” he said in a statement. “She will be incredibly missed at Aladdin’s. She has been with us through thick and thin. We couldn’t imagine a better candidate for this opportunity. We are excited to see her spread her wings and open her own restaurant.”
After more than three decades of working for Alaeddin, Watson said it was his confidence that gave her the push to venture out on her own.
“Though I’ve always considered the prospect of opening a business, it was Azmi’s encouragement and faith in me that inspired me to open my own restaurant,” she said.
Though RCW’s Cafe will be new inside the Zeidler Building, I wanted to honor my time with Azmi and still offer customers some of their favorite menu items. The menu will include customer favorites like breakfast sandwiches, burgers, and grilled paninis and will also include some new additions like avocado toast, bacon cheeseburgers, crispy fried chicken sandwiches, and fresh salads with much more to come. I can’t wait for everyone to give my new menu a try!
RCW’s cafe is slated to open on Jan. 15, according to a license application. In accordance with the city’s wishes, RCW’s will provide breakfast and lunch options, plus beverages, in a counter-service format. The restaurant will bring new options to the building, while also honoring favorites from Aladdin’s including breakfast sandwiches, burgers and grilled paninis.
The menu will also feature avocado toast, bacon cheeseburgers, crispy fried chicken sandwiches, fresh salads and more, Watson said.
Menu items will be prepared fresh in the kitchen and packaged for carryout, though guests are welcome to dine in; a handful of tables and chairs are placed throughout the adjoined dining area. The space can seat approximately 40 diners.
Like Aladdin’s City Cafe, RCW’s Cafe will be open to the public, as well as city workers. The only obstacle for new visitors is navigating through the building to access the basement — a task that can be daunting for the first-timer.
To access the cafe from the Frank P. Zeidler Municipal Building, enter from Broadway, proceed straight, past the offices on the left, to the elevator. Go to the basement level. Exit the elevator and turn left. More adventurous visitors can take the tunnel system from Milwaukee City Hall or the 809 N. Broadway building.
Alaeddin reflected on his years spent at Zeidler. “We were fortunate to bring authentic Middle Eastern food to the City Hall complex in January 2016,” he said. “We found an extended family here.”
Throughout its nearly 30-year tenure in Milwaukee, Aladdin’s has opened five locations, participated in more than 10 annual festivals for 25 years and managed a K-12 school lunch program.
RCW’s will fill an Aladdin’s-shaped hole in the basement of the administrative building, but one thing, or person, will be irreplaceable. Manager Sherri Musa will leave her post behind the counter to follow a new, out-of-state opportunity.
“Sherri Musa brought the sunshine to the basement,” Alaeddin said. “We wish her the best of luck on her next endeavor as she heads to the Big Apple!”
Once open, the proposed hours of operation for RCWs Cafe are Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
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