See Inside Mutual Market, Opening Monday in East Town

Mutual Market, 805 E. Mason St. Photo taken Nov. 7, 2024 by Sophie Bolich.

The lights are on and the shelves are stocked at Mutual Market, a high-end convenience store opening this week at the Northwestern Mutual campus in downtown Milwaukee.

Located at base of the company’s 32-story Tower and Commons building, the market will welcome its first customers on Monday, Nov. 11. With both a street-facing entrance at 805 E. Mason St. and direct access from inside the tower, the store is designed to serve both Northwestern Mutual employees and the general public.

Customers can expect a broad inventory of fresh produce, pasta, sauces, olive oil, spices, cheese, snacks and household essentials such as toiletries, medicine and cleaning products.

An on-site cafe offers coffee and espresso from Midwestern brands including Colectivo and Stone Creek, along with tea, smoothies, sandwiches and salads, breakfast pastries and more. On opening day, which coincides with Veterans Day, it will be brewing with beans from Chicago-based Veteran Roasters.

The market also includes two separate seating areas for meetings and sit-down dining.

During a Thursday tour of the 4,090-square-foot store, Cal Schattschneider, vice president of campus and event experiences at Northwestern Mutual, called the amenity a “win-win for everybody.”

“Our investment reflects our continued belief in creating both an engaging work environment for our employees, while also helping to support a dynamic downtown environment for our city of Milwaukee,” he said.

He also touted the store’s commitment to local brands, including Milwaukee Pretzel Company, Aly Miller Designs, Blu Mountain Co., Emmanuel’s Mix, Olympia Granola, Oro di Oliva and others.

The new store is part of an additional investment in campus improvements, complementing a $500 million plan to revitalize the company’s East Town presence, which also includes an overhaul of the 19-story North Building and the relocation of Starbucks, currently situated just steps from the market.

Schattschneider confirmed that the Starbucks will soon move to the east end of the building, where it will have direct access to an outdoor patio near the intersection of E. Mason Street and N. Prospect Avenue.

“So a really great place for them to even be more visible and open to our community, because we know it’s such a valued and and busy amenity for local folks and our employees,” he said.

Starbucks is expected to open its new location in 2025.

Starting Nov. 11, Mutual Market will be open Monday through Friday from 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. The store features several self-checkout kiosks, but will also have on-site staff.

The company previously recruited a full-service grocery store, Maurer’s Urban Market, to the 7Seventy7 building at the edge of its campus. But the market closed early in the COVID-19 pandemic and was replaced by Lupi & Iris restaurant.

This article has been updated to better reflect the scope of the campus improvement plan

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