A new coffee pop-up, which has been six months in the making, debuted this weekend at Cafe Centro, 808 E. Center St., in the Riverwest Neighborhood.
The Daily Bird, a new cafe-in-the-making, is currently serving an evolving menu of coffee and espresso drinks, chai tea, matcha and locally made bakery, including cookies, muffins and banana bread (many of which are also vegan).
You can’t miss the new pick-up window which boasts bright yellow signs and positive messaging like “You are loved.” and “Stay rad.”
Owner, Dan Zwart says the shop is named with a nod to his daughters, Dayle and Birdie. But it’s also an homage to a neighborhood that he’s grown to love.
"I love this neighborhood and I want to contribute, bring people together and create a great place for them to go," says Zwart, a Colorado native who moved to Riverwest three years ago after working in countless cities across the country in diverse roles including waiter, plumber, heavy machinery operator and flower farmer. “I also love sign-making, interior design, art, coffee, great neighborhoods and socializing. So it's the perfect combination."
Currently guests can find locally sourced beverages including Rishi tea and top shelf Anodyne coffee at the casual walk-up window, along with espresso drinks made with a two lever machine, which allows manual control of every aspect of the espresso making process. Drinks and bakery can be enjoyed on the go or at limited outside seating on the Centro sidewalk patio.
But – likely sometime this summer –the pop-up cafe will have a new home inside the building at 802 E. Center St.
That’s thanks to Cafe Centro owners Peg Karpfinger and Patrick Moore, who will be rehabbing the building to create a brand new dual personality space that functions as a coffee shop by day and an intimate event space by night.
Karpfinger says they’ll use the space for a variety of events, including private parties. And she hopes to activate the space as the home for a winter version of the Riverwest Farmers Market.
“I can’t thank Peg and Patrick enough,” says Zwart. “They are good people and great neighbors. I'm so grateful. And I'm excited to bring the community together around positivity and coffee.”
The Daily Bird is currently serving Monday through Friday from 6:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
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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.
