After the devastation stemming from a blaze that destroyed Oscar’s Frozen Custard in the Town of Brookfield began to wane, it didn’t take long for owners Susie and Jim Taylor, with the urging and support of other family members, to decide to rebuild the beloved business. But Susie Taylor admitted to worrying about whether Oscar’s customers would return after the 18 months it took to reopen.
The worry was needless – they’ve come back in droves.
It’s time to pick your Milwaukee favorites for the year!
On a recent Friday morning, a few days after the long-awaited reopening on May 12, customers began streaming into the newly constructed building at 21165 E. Moreland Blvd. and by noon there was a line stretching from the counter to the door as a crew of employees, including the Taylors and their sons, Zach and Jimmy, scrambled to fill orders for burgers, shakes and custard.
Outside, cars lined up, several deep, at the newly created double drive-through lanes.
Susie Taylor took a seat at a round booth, giving her a clear view of the crowd, made up of all ages, from children to seniors, including a group of hungry firefighters.
“We didn’t anticipate this much business, but we’re very appreciative,” Taylor tells Milwaukee Magazine as a smile crosses her face. “We’re running on empty right now because we’ve been so busy. But whatever it takes, we’ll figure out how to keep things running. We’re happy and overwhelmed by the community support.”
Taylor says she hadn’t heard a single complaint from customers despite having to deal with longer-than-usual wait times for their orders to be filled due to the crowds. On the contrary, they’ve expressed nothing but support.
“When I’m out in the dining room, there are so many people that want to tell me their stories of why Oscar’s is so special to them, from how they met their bride here, or how it was a tradition to go here after a baseball game or how it was their grandpa’s favorite place, so they wanted butter pecan custard for his funeral,” Taylor explains. “Those stories are so meaningful and definitely fuel us to keep going.”
Gov. Tony Evers was among those to visit Oscar’s, stopping by on June 2 to celebrate Dairy Month in Wisconsin. “We’re grateful for the support we’ve received throughout the rebuild and proud to be serving the Brookfield community once again,” Oscar’s stated in a social media post.
While focusing much of their attention on the rebuilt Town of Brookfield location, which first opened its doors 15 years ago, the Taylors operate multiple other businesses in the family portfolio, including two other Oscar’s locations in West Allis (the original that opened in 1984) and Franklin. They also own Taylor’s bar in Downtown’s Cathedral Square, which opened in 1985, and Waukesha eatery People’s Park, which launched in 2008 and temporarily closed in 2011 due to a fire.
Jim Taylor started the Oscar’s business with his uncle, Charlie, at the West Allis location where Susie Taylor began working, first as a cashier and homemade cone maker, and later as manager. It’s also where she met her future husband.
“I started working there the first day it opened when I was in high school and also worked there when I was in college,” she says. “That’s when I started dating Jim and the rest is history. We kept going.”
Although pleased about the reopening of Oscar’s, Taylor still feels the sting when recounting the night of the fire. The blaze on Nov. 19, 2024, began around midnight. Damage from the fire caused the roof to collapse, leaving the building a total loss.
From a nearby Taco Bell parking lot, the Taylors watched helplessly as the fire spread despite the best efforts of firefighters who worked to contain it on the windy, rainy night.
“We were just devastated,” Susie Taylor says. “Our kids are involved in the business, too, and right away they were like ‘Mom and Dad, we have to reopen.’ It’s been a very long rollercoaster of emotions.”
The cause of the blaze has never been determined, but an investigation ruled out foul play.
Following the decision to rebuild came the painstaking process of devising plans for the new building.
“It’s not the way you want to build a new restaurant,” Taylor says. “There are so many details between the insurance, figuring out the inventory list, designing what you want and then going to the town meetings for approval.”
Groundbreaking for the new building took place in September 2025. Eight months later, Oscar’s is back in business.
Peter Schwabe Inc. of Waukesha performed construction, another Waukesha firm, TDI Associates Inc., handled the architecture and Andrea Farr of Farr Interiors LLC, Milwaukee, did the design.
The interior design derived in part from an Italian gelato shop, Susie Taylor said, and includes chandeliers that hang from the space’s high ceiling. There’s a colorful metal sculpture, created by Jim Taylor’s brother, Richard, installed on the dining room wall that pays tribute to various aspects of Oscar’s history.
Overlooking the dining room are a few of the iconic Oscar’s silhouettes of Taylor family members that had lined the dining room of the old building. Many of the silhouettes were lost but a few that survived the fire were cleaned and fixed and now look down over the dining area.
The dining area also features a retro Oscar’s logo from the original restaurant in West Allis. Outside, there’s a large patio and a few railings salvaged from the fire-ravaged building that once surrounded the outer section of the dining room. The exterior of the building is adorned with 14-foot-tall lighted sign that features a custard cone, topped with a cherry, of course.
“We’re hopefully creating more memories for our customers, delicious memories,” Taylor says.
