MILWAUKEE — The owners of Sabrosa, a breakfast and lunch spot at 3216 S. Howell in Milwaukee's Bay View neighborhood, are opening a new coffee shop at 2121 S. Kinnickinnic Ave in June. The restaurants are LGBTQ owned.
The coffee shop, Sisu, will focus on the morning rush crowd, serving different coffee drinks and various bakery items.
"Sisu is a Finnish term for resilience, guts, grit," said co-owner Francisco Sanchez. Sanchez's partner and co-owner, Ruben Piirainen, is Finnish.
Sanchez and Piirainen said they have had to embrace their resilience throughout the pandemic.
"It really made us refocus on what we wanted to do and if we wanted to stay open and survive the last two years," Sanchez said.
And they did survive, not only allowing them to expand their business but also expand the LGBTQ business footprint in Milwaukee.
"It's part of who we are and it's a real point of pride," Piirainen said. "You see people really seeking out LGBT owned businesses to support."
They said Sisu will have the same standards and environment that customers have come to love at Sabrosa.
Sabrosa opened five years ago and has been serving what Sanchez describes as American food with worldly influences.
The restaurant has a seasonal menu and four to five specials every weekend. The menu features things like chilaquiles, unique pancakes, and kielbasa ranchero.
They also provide an entertainment experience with a rotating art gallery and live classical music on a baby grand piano.
You can also find Sanchez and Piirainen at the South Shore Farmer's market this summer.
