The
R1VER development in Milwaukee’s Harbor District has secured its second retail tenant in a new cafe and bakery, slated to open in mid-2024.
The yet-to-be-named concept will serve breakfast and lunch out of a 4,200-square-foot storefront at the northwest corner of South 1st and West Becher streets, on the ground floor of R1VER's Tribute Apartments. The space sits opposite The Bridgewater Modern Grill, which
opened in October 2022 in a 11,000-square-foot space along the Kinnickinnic River.
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Karen and George Herrera, owners of Sugar & Flour Bakery Cafe. Photo courtesy of Sugar & Flour[/caption]
Food entrepreneurs George and Karen Herrera are the operators behind the new cafe and bakery concept. The husband-and-wife duo own Sugar & Flour Bakery Cafe, located at 5721 Broad St. in Greendale. The couple opened the business in 2001, and after gaining a loyal following, they expanded the bakery space and menu into a full selection of cafe offerings in 2019.
Now, as the Herreras embark on their second business venture, they are looking to establish a culinary destination with a welcoming atmosphere in Milwaukee's Bay View neighborhood.
"It will be a place we'd want to go eat if we were in the neighborhood," said George Herrera in a news release. "We want customers to feel welcome and leave feeling like they've had something truly special, worth the time and effort."
Launching his culinary career in 1989 as a chef, Herrera worked his way across the industry, serving as executive chef at several Hyatt Hotels including in Minneapolis, Buffalo and Milwaukee. Karen Herrera is a self-taught baker who got her start baking for family and friends as a hobby before making it her career.
Construction on the future cafe space is expected to begin early next year, with Milwaukee-based Rinka as the project's designer. Rinka also designed the nearby Bridgewater restaurant.
“We are thrilled to welcome George and Karen to the R1VER development and the neighborhood,” said Michelle Herro, director of real estate finance and project management for Becher Development, which developed and leases R1VER. “We were looking for a unique, high-quality, neighborhood café for this ideal corner anchor location in the development, and the Herreras and their vision is the exact fit.”
The mixed-use R1VER project was developed a couple years ago by Brownsville-based infrastructure construction company Michels Corp., which has its corporate headquarters within the 210,000-square-foot, 8-story office building anchoring the campus. In addition to the 96-unit Tribute luxury apartments and its ground floor retail space, R1VER includes a a park, 1,000 feet of public riverwalk and space for future development such as a hotel.
With the restaurant and cafe occupying both ends of the apartment building's ground floor retail space, there are now four retail spaces, making up roughly 73,000 square feet, still available.
