A new coffee bar is slated to open at 720 N. Old World 3rd St., occupying the 1,200-square-foot retail space inside Hotel Wisconsin. Husband and wife Emily and Colin Whitcomb plan to have their new venture, called the Canary Coffee Bar, open by late spring or early summer. The Whitcombs hope to use Canary Coffee to create an experience “not unlike a craft beer bar,” for their customers.
The couple explained their vision to OnMilwaukee’s Lori Fredrich:
“Where they offer is a range of beer styles, and regardless of what you’ll like, you’ll find something … Our goal is to have knowledgeable staff who can really help you choose something you’ll enjoy. It’s about engaging customers with coffee on another level,” [says Colin].
At the same time, Emily notes, Canary Coffee Bar will also be a place that welcomes coffee drinkers of all types.
“If you just want to come in and have a cup of coffee, that’s great,” she says. “We’re not going to insist that you have this really intense experience. But we think there’s an audience of people in Milwaukee who really do want something more.”
Once open, the coffee bar will offer eight to 10 types of coffee from different roasters nationwide. Colin Whitcomb says the offerings will vary widely in terms of flavor, and that they will be serving custom roasts in partnership with Michigan’s MadCap Coffee and Snowdrift from Illinois. Construction on the space is set to begin in about a month.
