MILWAUKEE — Hidden in the basement of the Zeidler Municipal Building in downtown Milwaukee, RCW Cafe is serving up a special celebration of Juneteenth this week with a menu of soul food classics.
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Owner Rhonda Carter-Watson, the first Black person to own the cafe, is marking the holiday by offering three days of soul food specials, including smothered pork chops, baby back ribs, and baked chicken.
"Juneteenth is like they say, freedom. We've finally overcome a long stepping stone; it does mean a lot for me, for my family, for families to come," Carter-Watson said.
Carter-Watson has fond memories of Milwaukee's Juneteenth celebrations and wants to continue spreading that culture through food.
The special menu has attracted customers eager to participate in the cultural celebration, including Jeff Zaborowski.
"We can learn a lot from other cultures, and it just enriches your lives the more variety you have," Zaborowski said.
Zaborowski appreciates how the cafe's celebration adds to Milwaukee's cultural landscape.
"Milwaukee is full of festivals and celebrations, and this is just another unique way of showing our diversity," Zaborowski said.
For Carter-Watson, seeing people come to her business to celebrate Juneteenth is particularly meaningful.
Watch: Milwaukee cafe owner celebrates Juneteenth with soul food specials at downtown municipal building location
"We're celebrating, we're acknowledging this day that we've been waiting so long for it to come. They're appreciating it that we're taking the time to set aside and do something special for this day!" Carter-Watson said.
RCW Cafe will continue offering Juneteenth specials through Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
This story was reported on-air by Brendyn Jones and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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