MILWAUKEE, Wis. — A beloved Brady Street staple is welcoming customers back after a three-month closure caused by a fire.
Watch: Owner and regulars rejoice as Glorioso's returns after three-month closure
Glorioso's Italian Market will reopen its doors on Wednesday morning for a soft launch, offering about 80% of its regular inventory to eager customers who have been waiting for the market's return.
One of the owners, Dominic Presta, said the closure began after a small electrical fire occurred on the second floor of the building on October 3, 2025.
"It wasn't a big fire. Was more smoke damage, and smoke just went through the ventilation, and it just went everywhere. We had to get rid of everything," Presta said.
He said it's been a tough recovery with months of renovating and cleaning, but now seeing it reopen is a weight off their shoulders.
"Oh, it's like the cleanest store in Milwaukee, I guarantee it," Presta said. "Just to see it, to come back alive again, is a huge relief."
The market missed the lucrative holiday shopping season while undergoing repairs, but Presta emphasized that all the same employees have returned to work.
Regular customers like Clyde Jennings, who lives just a minute's walk from the store, have been anxiously awaiting the reopening.
"I have really missed Glorioso's. I try and peek over like the little covers they have to see how close they are to being done," Jennings said.
Jennings highlighted the personal connections that make Glorioso's special in the community.
"I know [the staff] by name, and they know me by name, and they asked me about stuff... It's a really great community builder, in a way that no other grocery store is," Jennings said.
For Presta, reconnecting with customers is what matters most after the challenging closure period.
"The support is huge. You know, 80 years in business, you can really see the love, you know, of the customers in Milwaukee," Presta said.
The market opens at 9 a.m. for its soft launch. Presta asks the community for patience during this initial reopening phase and announced that Glorioso's will hold its official grand opening and 80-year celebration in the coming weeks.
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