Beans & Barley is Closing
Longtime restaurant, deli and retail shop to close in early 2026, citing sale of its building.
Beans & Barley. Photo by Sophie Bolich.
Beans & Barley is bowing out. The East Side fixture, a local favorite for vegetarian meals, deli items, groceries and gifts, will close its doors at the end of January.
“The time has come for Beans to be done and our stewardship of this beautiful entity to end,” the business shared in a Wednesday morning announcement, citing the sale of its building, 1901 E. North Ave., as a principal reason for the closure.
The property, including a triangular parking lot and the 18,000-square-foot building that houses Beans & Barley and the mini-golf bar Nine Below, was listed for sale in early November for $2.25 million— a figure that Beans & Barley has said it is “not in a position” to pay.
In the online listing, broker Bill Bradley of Brickway Commercial Real Estate touts the site as a walkable location with strong pedestrian and vehicle traffic, making it “a standout opportunity for investors, owner-occupants of developers.” However, one source of built-in income will vanish with Beans & Barley. Nine Below has not shared a public update related to the sale.
Beans & Barley debuted at as a health food store in 1973 and began serving hot meals in 1979. Today, the restaurant offers breakfast, lunch and dinner with an emphasis on vegetarian and vegan dishes. A deli counter and espresso bar occupy the eastern half of the space, along with a retail area spotlighting small brands and local artisans.
The store’s original building was destroyed in a 1993 fire, prompting a full rebuild and giving rise to the ivy-covered exterior and glowing signage that have since become a hallmark of the neighborhood. “We hope that these last few months will bring a chance to see all of you here for one last time, and to give this legendary business the send off we think she deserves,” the post continued.
News of the closure follows a series of challenges for Beans & Barley, which briefly closed last spring after failing an inspection by the Milwaukee Health Department (MHD). In November 2024, an employee worked for several days while positive for Hepatitis A, an infectious liver disease. MHD provided vaccinations to those who may have been exposed.
Beans & Barley’s upcoming closure will mark the latest blow for the neighborhood where several prominent businesses, including a food hall, taproom, sports bar and Italian restaurant, have shuttered in the past year.
In closing, the business implored customers to frequent and support small businesses. “They will not make it without you,” the post says. “They make up your community, they are what makes this city incredible and they need you.”
The restaurant also called on hospitality businesses to hire members of its 70-person staff following the early 2026 closure.
Beans & Barley is expected to continue its regular hours—with exceptions for upcoming holidays—through January. The business is open daily from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
James Neumeyer and Polly Kaplan, co-owners since 2012, were not immediately available to comment.
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A big sad.
Will be missing my forty-five year old affair with Beans come Valentine’s Day 2026.
Best of luck to all 70 employees.
Time to buy copies of their cookbooks!
Oh, how deeply you will be missed.
Fare thee well!
Beans and Barley is at the top of my favorite places to eat and browse and relax. Been a fan since they opened in 1973. This news is more than sad. So many memories… fare thee well indeed!
Terrible news. Thank you, Beans, for all the years of breakfasts, lunches, dinners, quirky gifts, and the best Key Lime pie in Milwaukee. Your staff also brought just the right big-city bohemian vibe to the Eastside. Thank you.
A big loss to the East Side. I couldn’t believe it when I heard.
This is sad news. It’s also a perfect example of how runaway real estate inflation is strangling busines tenants. It’s not just the North Ave area, either. The owner of the building on the corner of Brady and Farwell priced all tenants out, including Starbucks, and has let the building sit empty for years.
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I’ve been a regular Beans & Barley customer (both cafe and deli) since I moved to Milwaukee in 2006. This news makes me so sad. It will be greatly missed!
Like so many others, our family has made Beans and Barley the destination for special gatherings both joyful and sometimes to cap endings of all sorts. It feels less like a place and more like welcoming relative always there no matter the occasion and always with open arms. It has been the constant in our changing lives. Something you can count on is a rare thing at times…”Beans” has always been that.
Two specific memories…It was where my daughter and I went to talk the morning after she met her future husband…It was also the place where we went after putting that same family’s beloved cat, Twizzler, down after decades of sweet time together… We went to celebrate and to grieve and not have to cook but be assured of a lovely meal while we had time to talk. Beans, you will be missed. I know others have similar stories…
Thank you, Beans and Barley for inspiring me to eat and cook more creatively. I have been patronizing the place since the late 80s. One of my favorite restaurants in Milwaukee. It will be missed as much as the dining counter at Oriental Drugs.