After 30 years of calling Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive (previously known as Old World Third Street) in downtown Milwaukee home, The Spice House is set to close the store this March.
The Spice House has two locations: one at 1031 N. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, near the Deer District, and another within the Milwaukee Public Market in the Historic Third Ward. The company confirmed Friday that the location on MLK Drive will close, and said it is searching for a new second location.
“The Spice House will be permanently closing our store at 1031 N. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive in downtown Milwaukee this March, while continuing to operate our location at Milwaukee Public Market just a mile away,” said the company in a statement. “It’s been a privilege serving our Milwaukee customers for the past 30 years and this location will always hold a special place in our hearts. We’ve hosted everyone from generations of families to James Beard Award winning chefs and more. Everything we are today started from Milwaukee. We are excited to continue our presence in Milwaukee at Public Market and will continue to update on plans as we search for a new second location.”
The company declined to comment on the reason for the closure. All employees at the MLK Drive store will be moved to the Milwaukee Public Market location until the company finds a new second home.
The Spice House was founded in 1957 by William Penzey Sr. and Ruth Penzey. The Penzeys passed the company on to their daughter and her husband – Patty and Tom Erd – in 1992. In 2018, Dave Grossman and Dan Yates became owners of The Spice House.
