A new cafe, called Hangout MKE, has been proposed for Milwaukee’s East Side, but it’s not like most coffee shops.
Along with serving typical cafe offerings, including coffee, beer, wine and snack food, it would feature a variety of games, live entertainment and artistic events.
Owners Meghan Staszak and Rebecca Riddle want to open the concept by spring 2019 in the ground floor of an apartment building located at 1819 N. Farwell Ave. The 4,600-square-foot space has been vacant since the building opened eight years ago, Staszak said.
Staszak and Riddle are calling their new concept an “activity cafe,” and with it, they hope to offer a place for people of all ages to gather and socialize.
“We’re big on putting your phone down and actually talking to the people around you,” Staszak.
Hangout MKE will feature larger games such as giant wall scrabble, extra large fuse ball and bumper pool, along with a variety of board games. It will also offer live entertainment from local musicians and artists.
As for its food and beverage selection, the cafe will serve Milwaukee-based Anodyne Coffee, locally sourced beer and wine, as well as a variety of sweet and savory snacks. Among them will be “s’more bowls,” which are bowls of toasted marshmallows, graham crackers, chocolate and the like.
With the endless amounts of bars and taverns Milwaukee has to offer, Staszak said she hopes Hangout MKE can be an alternative destination for those who prefer a different atmosphere or who are not of drinking age.
“Milwaukee is very bar focused and we want to create a place where you don’t feel pressured to drink,” she said. “We don’t care if you want to drink beer, coffee, or water.”
Hangout MKE will be open daily from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
