Valentine Coffee Expanding to Downer Avenue
Cafe and roastery plans to open third location on the East Side this fall.
Valentine Coffee Roasters in the Historic Third Ward. Photo taken July 10, 2024 by Sophie Bolich.
Valentine Coffee Roasters plans to expand its local presence with a new location on Milwaukee’s East Side.
The upcoming cafe is expected to open this fall at 3124 N. Downer Ave., adjacent to the recently opened Old Guard Games.
It will be the third for Valentine, which also has locations on Vliet Street and in the Historic Third Ward. A previous location in Oak Creek permanently closed in 2022.
Owner Robb Kashevarof said he wasn’t specifically seeking to expand on the East Side, but saw promise in the location. “It was just a good opportunity.”
The Downer Avenue cafe plans to offer a similar menu to that of the Third Ward location, including a full range of coffee and espresso drinks, teas, hot cocoa and seasonal beverage specials.
The food menu, meanwhile, features various offerings from local bakeries; breakfast items such as bagels, quiche, avocado toast and breakfast sandwiches; and lunch options including soup, salads and sandwiches.
“We’re excited to be there and serve the students of UWM and the East Side neighborhood,” said Kashevarof, who founded the company in 2009 with partner Joe Gilsdorf.
He also praised property owner Ben Checota for his role in restoring the historic building.
The year-long process included stripping the paint from the building’s copper awnings, repairing the original windows and hiring a team of masons to restore the brick exterior, which had been damaged by paint and sandblasting, Checota told Urban Milwaukee in May.
Valentine will still need to complete a series of additional updates prior to opening in the 1,192-square-foot cafe space, once part of the Panther Bookstore.
Construction documents have been filed with the city.
In addition to its two existing cafes, Valentine serves coffee via wholesale partnerships with restaurants, cafes, and retail outlets throughout the Milwaukee area. The company’s roastery is located in Wauwatosa.
Valentine’s in-progress cafe is one of several new projects coming to Downer Avenue.
Just a few blocks south of the proposed business, at 2597 N. Downer Ave., Pizza Man is making plans to reopen its East Side location. And nearby, the long-vacant restaurant space at 2575 N. Downer Ave. is being renovated in hopes of attracting future tenants.
Valentine is still in the earliest stages of planning for the new cafe. The business will need to secure a food dealers license prior to opening.
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