Beloved Riverwest Coffee Shop The Daily Bird to Close
Owner steps away citing burnout, but says staff will stay under new operator.
The Daily Bird. Photo by Jeramey Jannene.
“You are Loved” is the mantra of The Daily Bird, a Riverwest coffee shop that has grown to be one of Milwaukee’s most beloved cafes since it opened at 818 E. Center St. in 2021.
Now, that same mantra is being repeated back to the cafe by users on social media, following an announcement by owner Dan Zwart that Oct. 31 will be the last day The Daily Bird will be open.
“This decision has not been an easy one,” wrote Zwart. “I’ll be forever grateful for this neighborhood embracing us and showing us love every day for five years.”
The announcement has garnered more than 170 comments on Instagram as of Wednesday, most, if not all, expressing support and well wishes.
Zwart, in his announcement, explained that he is “burned out” and no longer has “the energy to give that this shop, employees and you deserve.”
The business started as a pop-up in 2020. The full cafe opened in 2021.
“I wanna be a more present father and human and it is impossible for me to turn this place off,” he wrote.
Indeed, “turning the place off” for employees and lovers of the space is not in the cards. Though Zwart is stepping away, he announced the location will continue to operate as a coffee shop and The Daily Bird’s “amazing staff will continue being amazing at the new shop.”
As for the new operators, Zwart wrote, “I will let them introduce themselves when they are ready.”
Urban Milwaukee found no new occupancy or license applications submitted for the space. As with its brief closure in 2024, the business appears on the Wisconsin Department of Revenue’s list of delinquent taxpayers.
Zwart’s social media post said he would not do any interviews.
Nine days remain to visit The Daily Bird. It is open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Saturday through Sunday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The Daily Bird Cafe owner Dan Zwart. Photo by Graham Kilmer.
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