RNC Hispanic Outreach Center Being Replaced By Mexican Ice Cream Shop

RNC southside center at 1310 W. Lincoln Ave. Photo taken September 15, 2021 by Jeramey Jannene. All Rights Reserved.

Mateo Grajales dreams of ice cream.

From the time he was a little boy, the entrepreneur and dessert enthusiast has yearned to open his own shop, bringing frozen treats and other snacks to the community.

He got a small taste of that previously, operating an ice cream counter in Guatemala for a handful of years before relocating to the U.S. After months of effort — and one false start — Grajales is poised to fulfill his longtime goal this summer.

“Since I was six, seven years old, that was something I always wanted to do,” he said. “And it’s something that’s becoming a reality now.”

Grajales recently submitted a license application to open a new location for La Michoacana at 1310 W. Lincoln Ave., in the Lincoln Village neighborhood.

Like other Michoacana outlets, including one that opened last year on Historic Mitchell Street, the upcoming shop will sell a wide variety of paletas and ice creams, as well as churros, nachos, street corn and Dorilocos, a maximalist snack featuring Doritos chips with a variety of toppings including chopped vegetables, peanuts, hot sauce and more.

During the early stages of planning the business, Grajales had his heart set on the Historic Mitchell Street building, which opened as La Michoacana Premium last fall under different owners.

“I really wanted that place,” he said. “But, thankfully, I found another good building where I think I’m going to do very good.”

Both ice cream shops, though independently owned, a part of a larger network of paleterias using La Michoacana branding and selling products from the Mexico-based company.

In addition to the stand-alone stores, a number of Milwaukee establishments — particularly taquerias and other similar restaurants, offer a selection of La Michoacana paletas and ice creams for dessert. Paleteros, or street vendors, are also known to carry the products.

Grajales said he’s completed a series of minor alterations to the building, which previously housed the Republican National Committee’s Hispanic outreach center.

A license application for the business is pending before the Milwaukee Common Council. If all goes well, Grajales hopes to open the business in July, he said.

Once open, the business’s proposed hours of operation are 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily, according to a license application.

“I just want to be part of what’s going on around the neighborhood,” Grajales said. “I know this is going to be one of those places that catches people’s attention — it’s a nice little plaza — I think that’s what makes me excited.”

“At the same time, it’s one of my dreams coming true.”