{image1}Running a café is one of those trades that is really in the "relationship business." Just ask two West Side coffee shop owners what's the most gratifying part of their jobs.
"The people are what drives us," says Al Brkich of Cranky Al's Bakery and Pizza in Wauwatosa. Brkich knows several hundred of his customers by name, and has allowed regulars who forgot their money to order a coffee and pay the next day.
"I enjoy the rapport our staff has with our customers," says Bob Olin, owner of Sherman Perk, a café in Milwaukee's Sherman Park neighborhood.
Both Brkich and Olin say this personal touch is what leads to repeat business.
"It's the way we treat our customers that differentiates us from the chains," says Olin.
"If they head to work with a smile on their face, they remember that," says Brkich, whose spirited conversation and light sarcasm ("I yell at the customers if they don't line up correctly") is reminiscent of the formula at the now-defunct Ed Debevic's chain restaurant in downtown Milwaukee.
Make no mistake about it, the coffee is important, too, say the cafe owners. In fact, they both point to the food and beverage side of the business as the source of their biggest challenges.
Consistency in the preparation of coffee and espresso drinks is Brkich's most pressing concern. Despite uniform training for the employees at Cranky Al's, beverages can vary from one employee to another, sometimes leading to cranky customers.
In deference to the orthodox Jewish community in Sherman Park, Olin offers a kosher menu. But this is an added expense and can be limiting, says Olin. "If we run out of milk, we can't just run across the street to get some more." Sherman Perk obtains its milk from a farm in Plymouth that produces kosher dairy and baked goods from La Parve, a kosher bakery in Glendale.
Brkich and Olin both bill their coffee shops as "kid-friendly," with toys, children's books and tot-sized tables and chairs.
"Surprisingly, some other coffee shops don't welcome kids, but we certainly do," says Olin.
"It gets quite crazy and loud in here. We let the kids run around," says Brkich, who adds that he doesn't mind that he may have lost a few customers in the past due to the number of kids.
Brkich and Olin both point to community involvement as an important function of their cafes.
Olin says one of his goals is to provide activities that people used to have to leave the neighborhood to enjoy. In addition to live music every weekend, Sherman Perk hosts a monthly poetry night, a weekend farmers market in the summer, karaoke and forums for local political candidates to meet citizens. Olin opens up the shop to neighborhood groups, including several Bible study groups and a job-networking group for the unemployed. Non-profit youth groups are invited to use the Sherman Perk parking lot for fundraising car washes.
Cranky Al's makes donations to local churches and schools. Brkich notes this community involvement works both ways. "We count on them to order from us. Maybe they can get something they want at another place, but they come here because they want to support us."
{image2}Here's the dish on Cranky Al's, Sherman Perk and some other West Side java joints we checked out (prices, of course, may change, but still serve as a good comparison, -ed.):
Alterra Blessings Cafe Café Caliente Caribou Coffee City.net Cafe Cranky Al's Bakery and Pizza Highland Park Pies and Cafe Nova Cena Café & Bakery Sherman Perk Starbucks
Mayfair Mall, (414) 453-9202 (three other locations in metro Milwaukee)
Small coffee: $1.20 (12 oz.)
Small cappuccino: $2 (8 oz.)
Single shot espresso: $1.50
Food: biscotti, muffins, cookies, pastries
Days of operation: seven days a week
This popular kiosk at Mayfair Mall is one of four Alterra locations in town. Also a coffee wholesaler, Alterra supplies their brand to other cafes in town, among them Sherman Perk.
5010 W. Vliet St., (414) 774-7708
Small coffee: $1.50 (16 oz.)
Small cappuccino: $3 (16 oz.)
Single shot espresso: $1.60
Food: soup, sandwiches and bakery products
Days of operation: seven days a week
This was the Milwaukee Coffee Co. until Sandy Folaron sold it to finance her run for mayor. After that it was briefly a branch of the East Side's Blue Dawg Bagels. Across the street from Wick Field, the cafe still has the giant coffee cup atop the store.
1413 N. 60th St., (414) 727-9439
Small coffee: $1.50 (12 oz.)
Small cappuccino: $3 (12 oz.)
Single shot espresso: $1.60
Food: soup, sandwiches and bakery, including scones, muffins, cookies and tea cakes
Days of operation: seven days a week
A new cafe on the edge of the Washington Highlands neighborhood, Café Caliente is one of the few in the area with outdoor seating for the warmer months.
418 N. Mayfair Rd., (414) 777-0280 (two other locations in the metro area)
Small coffee: $1.40 (12 oz.)
Small cappuccino: $2.55 (12 oz.)
Single shot espresso: $1.45
Food: muffins, scones, buns, cookies
Days of operation: seven days a week
The décor of this chain (lots of wood, a high ceiling, large windows and a fireplace) fits perfectly with the ski-lodge look of the new strip mall at the corner of Bluemound and Highway 100.
7219 W. Burleigh St.
Small coffee: $1.45 (12 oz.)
Small cappuccino: $3.50 (16 oz.)
Single shot espresso: $1.50
Food: cookies, pastries, biscottis and muffins, sandwiches, soups and chili
Days of operation: seven days a week
Sam Belton, a pastor at Spirit of Truth Worship Center church, opened up this cafe in a small storefront this summer. The jazz-themed shop offers free high-speed Internet to paying customers (with $3 purchase).
6913 W. North Ave., (414) 258-5282
Small coffee: $1.50 (12 oz.)
Small cappuccino: $3 (12 oz.)
Single shot espresso: $1.50
Food: donuts, muffins, scones, brownies (all baked on site)
Days of operation: Tuesday-Sunday; closed Mondays
The high-energy banter of 'Cranky Al' Brkich makes every customer feel like a regular here. Cranky Al's is also a full-service bakery and a carry-out pizza shop at night.
4110 W. Martin Dr., (414) 933-9303
Small coffee: $1.50 (12 oz.)
Small cappuccino: $2.05 (12 oz.)
Single shot espresso: $1.50
Food: yogurt parfait with fruit and granola, croissant sandwiches, breakfast pizza, muffins, buns, bagels. Fruit pies (whole or by the slice) include apple, strawberry, rhubarb and peach. Soup, salads and deli sandwiches for lunch.
Days of operation: Monday-Saturday; closed Sundays
Located near Miller Brewing and Harley-Davidson, the cottage-like structure features an interior with warm colors, texture painting, a canopy-covered register and several cozy rooms in which to sip coffee - it feels more like a Door County bed-and-breakfast than a West Side coffee house. We think Highland Park is worth checking out for their breakfast pizza.
1427 N. Underwood, (414) 258-7979 (two other locations in the metro area)
Small coffee: $1.09 (16 oz.)
Small cappuccino: $2.99 (16 oz.)
Single shot espresso: 99 cents
Food: Danishes, muffins, croissants, rolls, pies, coffee cakes, cookies from their bakery operation at the Third Ward location. Full breakfast menu includes crepes, omelets and pancakes. Soups, salads, sandwiches and pizzas for lunch.
Days of operation: seven days a week
Nova Cena took over all three locations of LaBoulangerie, including this one in the village area of Wauwatosa. It's probably the top choice in terms of the variety of bakery and food choices.
4924 W. Roosevelt Dr., (414) 875-7375
Small coffee: $1.25 (12 oz.)
Small cappuccino: $2.75 (12 oz.)
Single shot espresso: $1.50
Food: muffins, donuts, almond rings, bagels, cookies. All made in accordance with kosher dietary guidelines.
Days of operation: seven days a week
Sherman Perk has received acclamation for its restoration of a former gas station. It's the only kosher coffee shop in Milwaukee, according to owner Bob Olin, and serves as a hub of activity in the Sherman Park neighborhood.
Mayfair Mall, (414) 258-9290; 5610 W. Capitol Dr., (414) 442-9603; 1417 Wauwatosa Ave., (414) 607-8864 (as well as numerous other locations in metro Milwaukee)
Small coffee: $1.40 (12 oz.)
Small cappuccino: $2.55 (12 oz.)
Single shot espresso: $1.45
Food: muffins, coffee cakes, cinnamon rolls
Days of operation: seven days a week
Some coffeehouse connoisseurs have disdain for the nation's largest coffee chain. But it's the 800-pound gorilla in the coffee business -- there's no ignoring its presence. The selection of espressos and ice drinks at Starbucks is unmatched by almost all neighborhood joints.
