Oprah Visits Milwaukee Public Market
The mega-celebrity paid a visit to her niece and nephew-in-law, the owners of Pat's Rib Place.
Ty Hayes (left) and Oprah Winfrey. Photo courtesy of the Milwaukee Public Market.
What the Milwaukee Public Market may have lacked in traffic this past week, it made up for in star power.
Oprah Winfrey paid a visit on Thursday to support her niece and nephew-in-law, Alisha and Ty Hayes, who operate Pat’s Rib Place.
Winfrey, a television host and producer, is best known for her eponymous talk show, which aired for 25 seasons, from 1986 to 2011. She is also a celebrated philanthropist, having founded the Oprah Winfrey Charitable Foundation and donated millions of dollars towards efforts to improve access to education.
Pat’s Rib Place joined the public market as a vendor in 2021, though it has been in business for much longer. The Hayeses first launched the soul food business in 2009. The restaurant’s Waukesha location closed in 2023 after 14 years in business.
In addition to its namesake spare ribs, Pat’s offers pulled pork, smoked pastrami, corned beef and sides such as cornbread, smoked baked beans and homemade potato salad. The business’s homemade sauces are also available for purchase by the jar.
Pat’s is named for Alisha’s late mother, Patricia “Lee” Lloyd, who passed away in 2003. Winfrey, who is Lloyd’s half-sister, didn’t discover the relation until adulthood.
Winfrey’s surprise appearance in Milwaukee coincided with the final day of the Republican National Convention, which was held less than a mile northwest of the market, 400 N. Water St.
Oprah at RNC?
Coincidentally, Winfrey made a cameo during the RNC’s evening programming. In a video screened just before Donald Trump took the stage, Winfrey was shown interviewing the now-Republican presidential nominee.
During the clip, dated 1988, Winfrey inquires whether Trump would ever consider running for president. At first, he seems to reject the notion.
“Probably not,” he said.
But that didn’t satisfy Winfrey. “You’ve said, though, that if you did run for president, you think you’d win,” she said.
“I’ll tell you what, I wouldn’t go in to lose,” Trump responded.
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