MILWAUKEE — Sweet Connie's Café+ on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive in downtown Milwaukee is more than just a place to grab blueberry, jalapeño, cheddar or plain bagels. For owner Connie, it represents a mission to help people become their best selves.
Watch: Milwaukee cafe owner battles cancer while fighting to keep dream alive
"I see this as a vessel. I believe my purpose here is to help as many people as I can be their best selves," Connie said.
But like many new businesses, getting started wasn’t easy for Sweet Connie’s Café+. The café faced multiple challenges before even opening its doors.
“We had a few major setbacks. We had some contractual setbacks that played a big part in it. And once we finally did open, I got sick. You go in with a stomachache, you come out with stage 4 cancer, and it was just something to deal with,” Connie said.
A stage 4 cancer diagnosis came at the worst possible time — just as Connie was trying to get her brand-new business off the ground. She described it as a really rough year.
But Connie didn’t stop pursuing her dream.
“Keep the dream alive, and keep knowing what keeps me going is knowing that I’m not doing this just for myself and that I’m going to help somebody somehow,” Connie said.
Sweet Connie’s Café+ is now fighting to keep its doors open. Like so many restaurants, every customer matters, and the future depends on the community’s support.
“I’m not leaving here until my purpose is set, and it’s not done yet,” Connie said.
Connie’s request is simple — she wants people to give her café a try.
“I’m not asking people to do anything different than just come give us a try. Come taste us and enjoy the atmosphere,” Connie said.
Sweet Connie’s Café+ was built to serve the community, and now Connie is asking for the community to show up for her.
“It’s about the community — and I mean literally about the community. We are a whole, and once we all realize that we can’t do anything without each other, and I know that, and I believe in what I’m doing, that’s why I just believe it’s going to work,” Connie said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist 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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