MILWAUKEE — Ohhh boy, do I have some good news for you today. Glorioso’s is back open.
The popular Italian grocery store on Milwaukee's Lower East Side was forced to close after a fire on Oct. 3. The flames weren't so much the issue, but the smoke damage was extensive. The grocer had to close for three months, including the popular and lucrative holiday season.
But on its first day back, people were packing the famous deli, the butcher shop was busy, and long lines formed at the registers.
Watch the video to see what it was like inside Glorioso's during its re-opening...
“Soon as I got in here said, you know, hugged all the employees, went to the kitchen, saw my chefs, saying, you know, 'How good does it feel to be cooking? Not only cooking, smelling the food again?'" Carmine Presta, one of the co-owners of Glorioso's, said.
Presta and his two brothers also run the Illinois-based Valli Produce. They officially took over operations at Glorioso's in October 2024. They brought in a restoration crew that worked for 28 days straight and operated multiple shifts to get the job done as fast as possible. The smoke damage was so bad that all the produce, food, and canned goods had to be thrown away. It wasn't even safe to donate anymore.
During the restoration time, the employees couldn't work. But the Presta family decided to do something generous for them.
“No employee, no management missed a paycheck. We paid them every week for three months," Presta said.
The long lines were a clear indication that people were excited to be back.
“Dude, I’m super stoked. I bought like $50 worth of groceries," John Lenz, a Glorioso's fan, said. “I would come here every day, every other day. I used to live right down the road.”
Even Michaelo Glorioso, whose father helped start the business, showed up for the big day.
"I'm overwhelmed. I mean to see it gutted, and to see nothing here, and to see it back this morning open, and I think the public will agree nothing's changed," Glorioso said.
The iconic grocery store is celebrating a major milestone in 2026. This will be its 80th anniversary. Over those years, a lot of people have been fed by the take-and-bake lasagnas. Many a date night was had thanks to the make-your-own pizza kits.
Side note, speaking of dates. Look at what my fiancée texted me. After I told her I was covering Glorioso’s reopening, she said we should go on a date there.
It’s been the neighborhood spot for decades. Maybe it’s because people really loved their cookies, or the pastries, the pasta sauce, the deli, the butcher shop, or the dozens of unique items you can't find elsewhere. Or maybe it’s Uncle Eddie's caponata. Although I’ll be honest, I don’t really know what caponata is, so I’m not sure if that’s what’s bringing everyone in.
But I am pretty confident in saying this.
People have fallen in love with that neighborhood vibe, the tradition of Glorioso's. And that is what has made Glorioso’s on Brady Street such a staple of the Milwaukee community.
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