City Gives Bay View Dessert Shop 15-Day Suspension

Gordo’s, 2301 S. Howell Ave. Photo taken August 2, 2024 by Scotty Mann.

A series of unusual circumstances involving a car crash, stolen mailbox and undelivered paperwork led to the temporary, city-ordered closure of Gordo’s Bubble Waffles in Bay View.

The dessert shop, known for its over-the-top ice cream creations, will remain closed through Aug. 13, following a suspension issued by the Milwaukee Common Council on July 30.

The decision, according to Licences Committee members, is the result of owners Mohammed Otallah, Omar Daher, Suhib Badwan and opening the business after they were ordered not to.

However, a lengthy licensing hearing and subsequent interviews have revealed a stark contrast between the owners’ and city officials’ perspectives on the situation.

Discussions during a July 9 hearing centered on Gordos’ license — or lack thereof. According to testimony from Carly Hegarty of the Milwaukee Health Department, the business was found to be operating without a license numerous times during a one-month period in 2023.

Hegarty said the behavior is becoming a pattern.

“We were out in the field and discovered they were operating without a current license,” she said, noting that the department responded with “cease orders” in the form of a placard posted on the establishment’s front window.

“We had eight different occasions where the operator chose to continue to operate and removed the closed placard from their business,” she said, noting that an inspector called the operators on “several occasions” to explain the process and to ask that the business remain closed until securing its license.

After a recount, Hegarty corrected that number to 10. Inspectors report that the placard was covered or removed on April 10, 12, 13, 15, 17, 20, 21, 25, 29 and May 1 in 2023.

Hegarty said that Gordo’s, 2301 S. Howell Ave., received 18 citations over the course of approximately one month. Milwaukee Municipal Court dropped all but four, and the applicants are in the process of repaying the remaining fines.

Daher said he felt mistreated by representatives of the MHD during the hearing. “The manner in which we were addressed was not only aggressive but bordered on bullying. This experience has left us feeling attacked and unfairly targeted,” Daher told Urban Milwaukee.

Attorney David Halbrooks addressed the committee on behalf of Daher and Otallah. He said the issues all stem from a 2023 incident in which a semi-truck crashed into a nearby light pole, which in turn destroyed the Gordo’s sign. The price to repair it was $5,000.

“This eliminated the ability of Gordo’s to get their electrical inspection approved,” Halbrooks said. “And in order to get the money to stay in business — in a desperate attempt to stay in business — they opened …  despite knowing that they shouldn’t have.”

He said the “comedy of errors” continued into the subsequent licensing cycle, when the business’s mailbox was stolen. As a result, the owners missed their renewal notice, causing the license to lapse on May 9, 2024.

“In order to stay in business, they did the same thing,” he said.

Gordo’s continued to operate without a license for nearly two weeks, until they were informed of the need for a provisional license, which Alderwoman Marina Dimitrijevic granted.

Daher emphasized that his relationship with Dimitrijevic “and all public workers remains excellent.”

“We have consistently met all health code regulations and have no health code violations,” he said. “Their ongoing support and collaboration have been invaluable to us, and we appreciate their dedication to maintaining the highest standards in our community.”

Halbrooks asked the committee to consider a warning letter, emphasizing that the business has never received any health code violations.

But Alderman Scott Spiker balked at the idea. “To come to the city and say ‘why won’t you let us open,’ when you’ve already showed a disdain for our process, that’s a steep hill to climb.”

Initially, Dimitrijevic’s office recommended renewal with a warning letter for the business; however, Spiker overrode her request and moved for a 15-day suspension. There were no objections.

After further consideration, the alderwoman opted to back Spiker’s decision, and did not object during the July 30 full council vote.

“Additional data on the noncompliant decisions by the restaurant to continue to open when they had been ordered to close came to light in the hearing,” she told Urban Milwaukee via email. “While alderpersons submit their feedback, ultimately the decision is up to the committee and larger Common Council. We hope this business learns from this experience and can be successful.”

Daher said he felt the council’s decision was unnecessarily harsh.

“Alderman Spiker’s demeanor was particularly hostile and aggressive, adding to the overall distressing atmosphere of the meeting,” he said. “We believe that such conduct was uncalled for and exacerbated the already tense situation.”

Otallah, Daher, Badwan and Hussein — all cousins — opened the Bay View Gordo’s in 2022, after taking over the previous business, Gordo Burger, from family members.

The group expanded with a second location at 1633 W. Wells St., on the Marquette University campus, in March. That location will remain open as usual throughout the coming weeks. Its hours of operation are Sunday through Thursday from 2 p.m. to midnight and Friday through Saturday from 2 p.m. to 2 a.m.

The 15-day suspension to the Bay View business’s license went into effect on July 30.

In the meantime, Daher said he plans to remodel and update the space.

“Despite these challenges, we are determined to turn this setback into an opportunity for growth,” he said. “During the 15-day suspension, we will be undertaking a comprehensive remodeling and revamping of our store. Our goal is to come back stronger, with a renewed commitment to providing the best possible service and products to our community.”

Update: a previous version of this article listed Bilal Hussein as a co-owner. He is no longer associated with the business. 

Update: after publication, the committee’s vote was updated to include an objection from Alderman Lamont Westmoreland. The written record contains conflicting information regarding the committee’s official vote, but the video shows Westmoreland’s objection. 

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