This weekend, Stone Creek Coffee announced the permanent closure of its Whitefish Bay cafe at 601 E. Silver Spring Dr. 

According to a message posted to Facebook, the cafe, which opened in 1993, will serve its last lattes on Monday, April 19. 

It also marks an emotional milestone for the brand, since it was the first cafe (of many) to open with the Stone Creek Coffee name.

The Facebook post announcing the closing included a very personal message from Stone Creek founder and managing director Eric Resch, who shares his thoughts about the cafe, the future and the many Stone  Creek customers who've supported the brand over the years:

This café was the first café I opened in December 1993. On the day we opened, I was on the floor serving customers, making drinks, and being scared as hell. I was 24 years old and knew very little about owning a business. Today, 27 years later, I can sincerely say that I have experienced and have learned a lot, but I acknowledge that there is still so much to learn.

The closure of this café is a milestone I want to be sure we note. Given it was our first café it has a special place in my heart. Yet today, I do not feel sadness. I actually feel a strong sense of optimism and clarity. I am proud of the work we have done in the last 27 years, and I know that the cycles of life (or a café) are simply that, cycles. Everything we create in our business is iterative with the goal of making something even better tomorrow. Today we announce the closing of a café, but tomorrow something new rises up based on what we have learned. We march on resilient and ever-curious as we go.

We want to thank the team of baristas who have been at this café. We are thankful for the wonderful people who have cared for so many through coffee and conversation at this café over the years. We will not be laying off any employees or cutting any hours as we close this café. All team members will be transferring to other cafes nearby. While we certainly will miss serving you here, we hope you'll choose to stop by our other locations on the North Shore - on Oakland in Shorewood, or on Port Washington Rd in Glendale. Or you can come see us on Milwaukee's East Side on Downer Ave. 

Finally, but far from least, we want to thank all of those that came to love Stone Creek through this location. Thank you for coming on this journey with us over the years. We believe there will many more ahead...

Eric, Founder and Managing Director