By Molly Snyder Senior Writer Published Mar 18, 2014 at 6:04 PM

Nearly two weeks ago, Carolynn Buser asked the question "Should Milwaukee buy PBR?" In the post, she linked to a Facebook page called "Milwaukee Should Own Pabst Blue Ribbon" that was created by Nichali Ciaccio shortly after hearing that the 170-year-old brewing company was for sale again.

Ciacchio went on vacation and Riverwest’s Susie Seidelman took over administration on the page, which, within 20 hours, had more than 1,000 people join. There are now approximately 2,300 likers.

Seidelman was also contacted by Bridget Byrnes, the great-great-granddaughter of Pabst founder Capt. Frederick Pabst, who offered to build a web site for the cause.

Seidelman and dedicated friends have made more strides toward the goal of bringing the company back to Brew City. After meetings at the Public House in Riverwest, research, creativity and hard work, there is a plan.

The concept is to base Pabst ownership on the Green Bay Packers' model. The NFL team is community-owned, its profits go back into the team and its ownership agreement prevents future purchase, reorganization or relocation.

Seidelman sees acquiring Pabst as a piece of a broken puzzle.

"This will create a sustainable revenue stream for the City of Milwaukee to use toward solving the city’s most pressing problems and creating opportunity for all the City’s residents. And let’s not forget about the jobs – we want those to come home, too," she wrote on the web site.

In her web copy, Seidelman proposed that the City of Milwaukee agrees to fiscal sponsorship and to incorporate Pabst as a non-profit community organization. 

Seidelman believes this is a way to improve the economy which has contributed to segregation in the city.

"Would bringing Pabst back solve these problems? Not in and of itself, no. Would it be a step in the right direction, offering an innovative inroad on making these problems better? Absolutely," she says. "Pabst belongs here, plain and simple. We made this beer what it is. It’s time to bring it on home."

To sign the online petition to bring Pabst back to Milwaukee, go here.


Molly Snyder started writing and publishing her work at the age 10, when her community newspaper printed her poem, "The Unicorn.” Since then, she's expanded beyond the subject of mythical creatures and written in many different mediums but, nearest and dearest to her heart, thousands of articles for OnMilwaukee.

Molly is a regular contributor to FOX6 News and numerous radio stations as well as the co-host of "Dandelions: A Podcast For Women.” She's received five Milwaukee Press Club Awards, served as the Pfister Narrator and is the Wisconsin State Fair’s Celebrity Cream Puff Eating Champion of 2019.