New Owners To Take Over Charles E. Fromage

Honore and Tony Schiro, owners of Charles E. Fromage. Photo taken June 11, 2025 by Sophie Bolich.

Honore and Tony Schiro brought a decades-long vision to life with the opening of Charles E. Fromage.

Though both former teachers, the married couple are “not very good at relaxing,” and instead spend their time exploring a wide range of hobbies — playwriting, home improvement, paper collaging and — as of 2019 — running a small neighborhood bistro.

Charles E. Fromage — a tongue-in-cheek reference to Chuck E. Cheese — is a place where “an adult can be an adult.” It’s also a beloved community spot offering a cozy bar and seasonal rooftop patio, with local draft beer, wine, craft cocktails and scratch-made snacks featuring seasonal — and often homegrown — ingredients.

The past six years at the helm of the business have been “really fun and really challenging,” Honore said. “It’s a lot to juggle, but it’s been a blast — just really creative work.”

As the Schiros inch further into retirement, the business at 5811 W. Vliet St. now has a guaranteed future in the hands of their longtime friends: Rachelle and Frank Alioto, and their son, Sam Alioto.

“We’ve watched them build this place, and we really like it,” Rachelle said. “It’s intimate, it’s manageable … we were willing to invest in this.”

There’s no firm date for the transfer yet, as the Aliotos continue to navigate licensing and inspections. In the meantime, the trio is beginning to take on larger roles at the bistro under the Schiros’ guidance.

When the time comes, Rachelle will step in as owner, with Frank managing the business. Their son, Sam — who has worked on and off at the bistro over the years — will serve as chef and operator.

Sam’s restaurant experience dates back to middle school, though his culinary journey began even earlier — he was making pancakes from scratch before age 10. He continued working in the industry on weekends and during summers throughout high school and college while studying geography at UW–Madison.

Additional roles have included work at Graze Restaurant in Madison, the Milwaukee Public Library, Tiny Green Trees preschool and Interval.

“We could see that Sam was on this progression, and the next step would likely be him wanting to own an establishment or be fully in charge,” Rachelle said. “When he called us with the proposal, we thought, ‘Oh good, this could be the perfect match for us.’”

Tony, whose passion for cooking is inherited from his mom and grandmother, has run the kitchen at Charles E. Fromage since its inception. He’s now working to pass along his knowledge and recipes to Sam, who plans to keep the food and beverage programs largely unchanged.

“I think what you might see is a special here and there,” said Sam, who, like Tony, draws inspiration from local and seasonal ingredients.

The bistro makes everything it can from scratch — including jams, syrups, pesto, and more. “Everything’s fresh, everything’s from the garden,” Sam said. Other products come from nearby businesses, like baguettes from Rocket Baby Bakery. The business hopes to eventually partner with Ruby’s Bagels, as well.

The incoming chef — set to take over June 13 — also plans to maintain the bistro’s four main cocktails — The Vliet St., Classic Margarita, Spicy Margarita and Story Hill — but may experiment with its wine list, potentially bringing in natural and organic offerings. Beer will remain as is: local and on tap.

From its earliest days, Charles E. Fromage has been about more than just food and drink — a sentiment shared by both its current and future owners. As they prepare to take ownership, the Aliotos are committed to maintaining the bistro as a community hub, with events like silent book club, music on the patio and weekday happy hours.

While Sam is eager to head up the kitchen, it’s the bistro’s energy that truly excites him.

“It’s community-driven,” he said. “It’s not highbrow, but it’s not lowbrow. We care about what we do here, sure — and I care a lot about food, drink, and serving people. But I just want to add: I’m not ‘Chef Sam.’ I’m Sam Alioto. I love the community here. I love to cook and feed people, period. That’s it.”

The Schiros look back fondly on their time at Charles E. Fromage, including the monumental community support during COVID.

A 6th anniversary party is scheduled for June 13 from 4 to 10 p.m., featuring a rooftop performance by the Matching Plaids, drink specials and throwback beer prices.

For updates and more information on upcoming events, visit the Charles E. Fromage Facebook page and website.

Update: after publication, one source asked to retract a quote.

Existing members must be signed in to see the interactive map. Sign in.