East Side Juice Bar Announces Closure
Kwench Juice Cafe on Prospect Ave. is permanently closed, facing eviction.
Kwench Juice Cafe. Photo by Sophie Bolich
Kwench Juice Cafe has closed its location on Milwaukee’s East Side after just under two years in business.
The juice bar, part of a national chain, opened in May 2022 at 2220 N. Prospect Ave., bringing fruit and vegetable juices, smoothies, acai bowls and more to a first-floor retail space at the Contour Apartments.
Franchisee Lilah Calhoun announced the permanent closure in a social media post last Friday. In addition to thanking the cafe’s employees and loyal customers, the post invited patrons to celebrate the opening of a new cafe. This time, in Florida.
Calhoun, who resided in the “Sunshine State” before relocating to Milwaukee, said she will share the address for the upcoming location on the business’s Instagram page.
Kwench operates nearly 30 locations across the country, each of which offers a similar menu of juices such as ABC (apple, beet and carrot), Glow (celery, kale, apple, parsley, lime, lemon and ginger) and Reborn (pineapple, celery, cucumber, lemon and spinach). The cafe also offers a create-your-own juice option.
Additional menu items include a selection of fruit smoothies, acai bowls, juice shots and grab-and-go items such as salads and energy bites.
Calhoun did not share a reason for the closure in her social media post; however, circuit court records indicate that the business had been facing financial struggles.
In early 2024, Contour Apartments LLC filed to evict Calhoun and her business, Juice Game, LLC. The case remains open, with an upcoming court date scheduled for May 17.
Calhoun has also been accused on several occasions of stealing cash and valuables from patrons at casinos, including a 2021 arrest in Des Plaines, Illinois.
According to a report from Patch, at the time of her 2021 arrest Calhoun had five misdemeanor convictions from Nevada and four prior felonies in Florida.
The next closest location for Kwench is in Wauwatosa. Erin and Kent McCorkle are the owners of the cafe, which opened in July 2023.
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