Where 50 Food Businesses All Converge

The Neighborhood Kitchen, 8103 W. Tower Ave. Photo taken July 16, 2025 by Sophie Bolich.

Before, during and after the daily grind of food service, more than 50 Milwaukee businesses converge at a single commercial kitchen on the far Northwest Side.

The Neighborhood Kitchen, 8103 W. Tower Ave., is a much-needed home base for food trailers, caterers, meal delivery services and more — offering not only a supportive, collaborative environment, but also something notably scarce in Milwaukee: commercial kitchen space.

Suzy Wagner — a chef and business owner herself — oversees day-to-day operations in the 4,000-square-foot building, balancing the needs of more than four dozen vendors ranging from mochi doughnuts to barbecue.

The Neighborhood Kitchen operates 24/7, supporting first-shift prep, late-night food truck re-ups and everything in between. The shared kitchen is loosely partitioned, with areas for cooking, processing, packaging and storage.

Scheduling requires a bit of finesse, but it’s far from the biggest challenge. Even in the case of last-minute events, “We’ve always made room for people,” Wagner said.

What’s more difficult is the maintenance. “It’s a lot of work … kitchen repairs are expensive,” said Wagner, who took over the building in 2020, and has since invested in a new roof and parking lot. “You’re putting all the money back into the business.”

Wagner said these factors — time commitment, cost, ongoing maintenance — all contribute to a lack of commercial kitchen space in Milwaukee. She credits a lifetime in the food industry for keeping her afloat.

“I can’t imagine if somebody who wasn’t in food service for decades came in to try to run a [shared commercial] kitchen. I don’t know how they’d do it.”

Wagner’s industry roots run deep. Much of her childhood was spent at the family restaurant, Boder’s on the River, which her great-grandfather launched in 1929. “We were open for 70-some years, so I grew up in the kitchen, running around upstairs with my cousins and stuff.”

Though she always liked the restaurant business, Wagner observed her dad’s late nights, long hours and few days off with hesitance. “I didn’t want to do that.”

Wagner initially became a teacher, but later transitioned back into food service. She now heads The Chef’s Daughter, a meal delivery and catering company, and is frequently on-site at The Neighborhood Kitchen — preparing items for her own business, jumping in to help other vendors and, most of all, cleaning.

“I clean every day,” she said with a laugh. “I mop floors constantly. You’ve got to be willing to do that kind of work.”

The hard work can’t be overstated, but redemption lies in the community, camaraderie and sense of purpose that fills The Neighborhood Kitchen, Wagner said.

“We share recipes with one another, we help each other, when one of us has a big catering order, we’ll all pitch in to make sure they get everything in the car.”

Chefs are also known to share ingredients in a pinch, and newcomers can turn to more seasoned entrepreneurs for help with licensing and equipment.

“It’s very rewarding,” Wagner said, noting that it’s an exciting time to be in food service as Milwaukee’s culinary scene continues to grow and diversify. “You can get any type of food now — especially with the food trucks. It’s really cool to see the different kinds of things they’re doing.”

“I love what I do,” she added. “I wouldn’t do it if I didn’t.”

The Neighborhood Kitchen is accepting new businesses. More information is available online.

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