After Driver Crashed Into Lafayette Place, Restaurant Closed Indefinitely
East Side cafe needs extensive repairs. Customers are encouraged to visit sister business The National Cafe.
The Lafayette Place, 1978 N. Farwell Ave. Photo taken Sept. 3, 2024 by Sophie Bolich.
The Lafayette Place was left reeling after a Labor Day car crash caused extensive damage to the cafe’s entrance and surrounding walls.
No injuries were reported, but the business, 1978 N. Farwell Ave., will remain closed as co-owners Amy Plennes and Angela Wierzbinski, along with building owner Michel Aboul-Zelof, begin to pick up the pieces.
For Plennes, the scope of the damage took a while to sink in. “The pictures don’t really do it justice,” she said in an email.
In fact, her first instinct was to head to The Home Depot in hopes of purchasing a bit of plywood to cover the front door. “We thought, ‘oh this isn’t good but should be fixable,” Plennes said.
When she and Wierzbinski arrived on site, though, they were “shocked at how bad the damage really was.”
“We both knew right away this was going to take us out for who knows how long,” Plennes said.
The crash occurred just after 11:30 a.m. on Monday, when a motorist traveling south on Farwell Avenue attempted to turn left from the center lane, Plennes said. They cut off another driver on the far-left side of the one-way street, causing them to swerve and hit the cafe, which was closed at the time.
I think we both just feel grateful that no one was hurt,” Plennes said. “Had this happened a day earlier, it could have been so much worse.”
At this point, the owners are unsure when the cafe will reopen; nobody is allowed inside due to concerns over the building’s structural integrity. But when the time comes, they plan to return “better than ever.”
“Right now all we can say is be patient,” Plennes said, addressing customers. “We will be back.”
In the meantime, fans of The Lafayette Place are encouraged to patronize its sister business, The National Cafe, 839 W. National Ave., which will be showcasing a range of specials, including vegan bakery.
The National Cafe is also a vendor at South Shore Farmers Market.
The Lafayette Place opened in 2020, bringing vegan brunch and lunch items to the cozy corner cafe, previously home to Celesta.
Monday’s crash was the latest of several similar incidents that have occurred throughout the city in the past year.
Wine, spirit and tobacco shop Thelma Carol Wine Merchants was hit by a driver last October. In February, a car slammed into Sunshine Liquor & Beer, 3541 W. Villard Ave. In March, a driver crashed into Cafe Hollander, 2608 N. Downer Ave., while trying to parallel park. Later that month, a smoke shop at 4581 N. Hopkins St. was hit by a vehicle. In July, Gumbo Valley food truck was destroyed in a rear-end crash while parked on near the intersection of Holton Street and Capitol Drive.
Social media commenters also report that The Lafayette Place building has been previously hit on numerous occasions, most recently when the restaurant space was home to Celesta.
As Plennes and Wierzbinski start the rebuilding process and eventually set a reopening date, updates will be shared on the restaurant’s Facebook and Instagram pages.
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i have noticed an increase in the number of drivers who make a left hand turn or a right from the center lane. this is an interesting bad driver move and wonder did these folks take driver ed. and who taught them??? i saw the car in the building and the building was definitely damaged.
Again I suggest that Ravine Road be reopened. There are too many drivers trying to get to Lincoln Memorial Drive and Lafayette Place has become very heavily trafficked. East Water Tower Road is itself a hazard with the variety of twists and turns. Yes, I’ve read about opening Ravine Road to pedestrians and bikers. But bikers and pedestrians already have a variety of choices. While I am not a supporter of cars, the public transportation situation in Milwaukee has deteriorated for years, so I understand why people cling to their cars. If we want workers to come back to work downtown, we need to make it easier for them to get downtown. I know the county supervisor isn’t supportive of opening Ravine Road to car traffic, but we are just going to see more car accidents (and deaths) given the current options.
I doubt that opening Ravine Dr. will do anything to prevent aggressive and/or careless drivers running into anything or any body and I support leaving it open for hikers and cyclists.
The serenity and safety of the park users should be preserved without having to dodge the same careless and aggressive drivers who are on the streets now.