By Lori Fredrich Senior Food Writer, Dining Editor, Podcast Host Published Dec 19, 2017 at 10:38 AM

It’s been nearly a month since Capriotti’s Sandwich Shop at 111 E. Wisconsin Ave. (in the Chase Tower) went dark. But the space won’t be empty for long.

Grassroots Salad Company, a locally owned restaurant specializing in salads and fresh juices, will be moving into the space sometime this spring.

Grassroots is owned by brothers Peter and Louie Liapis, who also own Georgie Porgie Burgers and Custard in Oak Creek and Mount Pleasant. They also operate a Grassroots Salad Company Kiosk in Brookfield Square.

"We’re really excited about being Downtown," notes Peter Liapis."Our goal has always been to offer really healthy, but really tasty food for people who are on the go. We want to revolutionize the way people think of fast food."

The Grassroots menu features five core offerings: Caesar, Cobb, Santa Fe, Asian and Kriti, a Greek-style salad with Kalamata olives, grape tomatoes, red onions, chickpeas, Wisconsin feta cheese and Greek goddess dressing.

The restaurant will also features a build-your-own salad option, along with a juice bar offering a variety of fruit and vegetable juice blends. The new location is likely to offer an expanded selection of fresh juices, as well as a few additional menu items, including warm grain-based salads.

"When we first opened, we teamed up with Chef Kurt Fogle of Bass Bay Brewhouse, who helped us to develop the menu, including our 10 housemade dressings," Liapis says. "And that’s really made a difference in terms of their flavor profiles. For us, it’s always been a key differentiator."

Once open, Grassroots plans to be open Monday through Saturday.

Lori Fredrich Senior Food Writer, Dining Editor, Podcast Host

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 each and every dish. She’s had the privilege of chronicling these tales via numerous media, including OnMilwaukee and in her book “Milwaukee Food.” Her work has garnered journalism awards from entities including the Milwaukee Press Club. 

When she’s not eating, photographing food, writing or recording the FoodCrush podcast, 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.