A series of setbacks have caused the owner of Third Coast Gourmet, located in Milwaukee’s Historic Third Ward, to make the decision to shut down the shop just nine months after opening.
Third Coast Gourmet, located at 309 N. Water St., officially opened in April 2024. The shop exclusively sells Boar’s Head products, which are used to craft its sandwiches. Soups, salads, charcuterie boards and more are also on the menu.
The shop is a passion project for owner Joena Vitale, who spent several months, and hundreds of thousands of dollars, creating the concept for the sub shop.
Vitale’s original career was in accounting. She worked for a local country club for more than 20 years, which reinforced her love of entertaining.
Finally, in early 2020, she decided it was time for her to open her own restaurant. Vitale didn’t want a full-fledged restaurant operation, rather something simple, which inspired her idea of opening a gourmet sandwich shop.
Vitale hosted several blind taste testing sessions with family and friends to discover the best meats and cheese. She said Boar’s Head products won by a landslide. This eventually led her to enter a unique partnership with the brand.
This one-of-a-kind partnership with Boar’s Head, coupled with what seemed like the perfect storefront near downtown Milwaukee, would surely be successful – at least that’s what Vitale first thought.
“With Summerfest and the RNC, and us being right on Water Street, we thought this was going to be a good situation,” said Vitale. “It turned out to be a dud. Water Street is not what it was pre-COVID.”
Hopes for bolstered foot traffic due to construction of the neighboring 333 Water building also turned out to be unfounded. Vitale was told the building would open by the time Third Coast Gourmet moved in. However, residents didn’t start moving in until June, about two months after the shop opened.
“On top of that, there were always dumpsters and equipment blocking our store,” said Vitale. “How can you survive that nightmare?”
On top of lackluster foot traffic, Vitale found herself severely ill, suffering from Guillain-Barré syndrome after receiving a routine flu vaccine last July.
She was left paralyzed from the waist down and spent several months in a rehabilitation facility learning to walk again. She left the facility last September.
“When I left the hospital, I was still using a walker,” she said. “We had some considerations with the lease, but by that time, rent had kicked in.”
With another major construction project slated to begin in the coming months as Water Street is redesigned, Vitale has decided it’s best to close Third Coast Gourmet’s current location. She’s hoping to find an investor in the business or that someone will buy her out.
“If we can’t establish ourselves in the next nine months, we’re never going to have a business. The concept itself is phenomenal,” she said. “There’s nothing like this, not just in Milwaukee, but even on the coasts.”
Third Coast Gourmet has direct access to Boar’s Head recipes and the company’s in-house chef, along with its own slate of proprietary spices and seasonings.
“Do I want to sell? Not really. But I would sell if I knew that person would be as passionate as I am,” said Vitale. “This could be very big.”
Third Coast Gourmet’s last day of business will be Jan. 24. A customer appreciation event is scheduled to take place from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.
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- Third Coast Gourmet sells Boar’s Head meats and cheeses.
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- Inside Third Coast Gourmet, 309 N. Water St.
