News broke Thursday that downtown Greek restaurant Ouzo Cafe, 776 N. Milwaukee St., had closed its doors after more than two decades in business. Both the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and Urban Milwaukee reported that the restaurant announced the closure via a note taped to its front entrance.
And yet neither the JS or UM posted a photo of the note. Both (fantastic) outlets reported some of the contents of the note (“Aristotle once said, ‘Excellence is a habit.’ We aimed for excellence every day, with every customer,”) but neither showed us the note itself. Come on! Show us the note! We want to see the note! In a world where most restaurant closures are announced on social media, a good old fashioned note taped to a door or a window deserves to be seen!
So here it is!
And here’s the whole thing printed out!
Dear Ouzo Cafe customers and long-time friends,
It’s been our honor to serve the Milwaukee community for 21 years. Each time a customer walked into our restaurant at 776 N. Milwaukee St, we tried our best to make them feel like they were dining in our warm, Greek-American home. Aristotle once said “Excellence is a habit.” We aimed for excellence every day, with every customer.
We’ve had numerous opportunities over the years to use our building for various purposes, but our passion for Greek cuisine and our wonderful customers has always kept us committed to Ouzo Cafe. It was our commitment to our customers, and their commitment to supporting us, that helped Ouzo Cafe to endure the challenges of the COVID pandemic.
That’s why it is with mixed emotions that we announce Ouzo Cafe’s last day at 776 N. Milwaukee St. will be October 18th. While we will miss serving all of you, we can tell you that another local business is moving in, and the wonderful owners share our passion for food and community.
As for Ouzo Cafe: this isn’t goodbye, it’s see you later. We will continue to provide authentic Greek food through our catering business, and can be reached at [email protected]
Lastly, we remain open to other opportunities to share our Greek food and culture with the wonderful people of Southeastern Wisconsin. Please keep an eye out for us in the future!
All our love,
The Ouzo Cafe Family
So yeah, it sounds like something will be moving in soon. Stay tuned!
In the meantime, fare thee well, Ouzo Cafe. And subscribe to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and Urban Milwaukee! And…
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