There’s a new little cafe on the docket for Bay View.
The venue, which will be called SmallPie, is located at 2504 E. Oklahoma Ave. in a quaint building which formerly housed an old-school gas station.
SmallPie is expected to offer a variety of foods, including savory pasties, sweet and savory croissants, cookies, tea breads and grab-and-go and hot items. And, of course, there will also be pie (both sweet and savory).
Behind the concept is Valeri Lucks, co-owner of Honeypie Cafe and Palomino, who will operate the cafe with the help of the Honeypie baking staff. She says the bakery has been rolling out a variety of items that have been served at area markets over the past few years, many of which will be featured at the new cafe.
"I’ve always had this dream to start a little place like this," she says. "I’ve been driving past this little building for, like, 13 years, so when I found out the space was available, I was really excited."
Lucks says that plans for the cozy, counter service cafe include the addition of a large patio space, green space and plenty of room for bike racks.
Lucks says that, provided all goes well, SmallPie could be open as soon as June.
Watch OnMilwaukee for additional details as they become available.
As a passionate champion of the local dining scene, Lori has reimagined the restaurant critic's role into that of a trusted dining concierge, guiding food lovers to delightful culinary discoveries and memorable experiences.
Lori is an avid cook whose accrual of condiments and spices is rivaled only by her cookbook collection. Her passion for the culinary industry was birthed while balancing A&W root beer mugs as a teenage carhop, fed by insatiable curiosity and fueled by the people whose stories entwine with every dish. Lori is the author of two books: the "Wisconsin Field to Fork" cookbook and "Milwaukee Food". Her work has garnered journalism awards from entities including the Milwaukee Press Club. In 2024, Lori was honored with a "Top 20 Women in Hospitality to Watch" award by the Wisconsin Restaurant Association.
When she’s not eating, photographing food, writing or planning for TV and radio spots, you’ll find Lori seeking out adventures with her husband Paul, traveling, cooking, reading, learning, snuggling with her cats and looking for ways to make a difference.
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