Crossroads Collective (2238 N. Farwell Ave.) – the East Side’s first and only food hall – announced on Tuesday its plans to close. It made me think about the last time I was there. Admittedly, it had been a while. When it opened in 2018, it was a novelty. Not a food court, but a venue where local startups could test their concepts and vendors used a shared kitchen. A gathering place for the community, too.
The collective’s operator, New Land Enterprises, named a closing date of May 8. The next occupant of that corner of Prospect and Ivanhoe will be a local food business (not yet revealed) that had approached New Land about taking over the space, says the company’s marketing director Jodi Hogerton.
It’s time to pick your Milwaukee favorites for the year!
The announcement on Crossroads’ social media reads: “Now it’s time to pass the torch to a local restaurant expanding into the space, a move that reflects what Crossroads has always stood for: giving small businesses a place to grow.”
In the seven years it’s been open, Crossroads made an impact – particularly with its early vendors. There’s Egg & Flour, the made-to-order pasta bar from former reality cooking show contestant Adam Pawlak. It left the food hall in 2023 and operates a location in Bay View. And Heaven’s Table BBQ, started by chef Jason Alston. It, too, has a stand-alone location – in Washington Heights. Former Tess head chef Martin Magana was one of the original vendors with Frida, a Latin-imbued soup and sandwich spot. While that concept was put to bed in 2021, Magana and partners have since started both Troublemakers Cocina inside Central Waters Brewing Co. and Travieso in Waukesha. Frida’s space at Crossroads was replaced for a time by Ruta’s Fresh Indian Fare, which left and opened a spot in Walker’s Point.
During pandemic, I was a frequent takeout customer at Crossroads, often patronizing a now-defunct concept that started as a pop-up offering Lao cuisine. It was called Thum. Also not infrequently, I would get a pint to go from Scratch Ice Cream, one of the only original vendors (besides the Pharmacy bar) still operating at Crossroads.
Though the food hall is folding, one component of that development is staying open – the cool little speakeasy Shanghai, whose “hidden” entrance is within Black Cat Alley.
