Earlier this week, Milwaukee collectively mourned as we learned the shocking, awful news that Beans & Barley will be closing its doors on January 31, 2026. Three days later, another East Side dining establishment has announced that it, too, will be forced to close in the near future unless things turn around quickly.
Strange Town (2101 N. Prospect Ave.) took to social media on Saturday and posted a dire plea for help bouncing back from “a bad year” and its slowest month since pandemic times. According to the post, the vegan restaurant that’s been open since late 2017 might not see 2026 if business doesn’t pick up soon. As the post says, “it’s now or never.”
They’re asking customers and customers-to-be to come in for dinner, buy a gift certificate, and purchase some wine this weekend to help them make ends meet and, quite literally, prevent them from closing in the coming weeks. Here’s the full statement from Strange Town.
The last few weeks have been our slowest weeks since 2020. We were already in a tight spot. 2025 has been a bad year for us. Slowest summer in our history. The last 2 weeks have drained us. We won’t survive another 2 weeks like that.
We love you, and we are trying our best to keep our doors open and continue making delicious food and drink for y’all, but in order to do this, we need your support now more than ever! Please, come get dinner. Buy some wine. Buy gift certificate. It’s now or never.
We are racking our brains trying to figure out how to adapt. It’s especially hard for vegan spots, or any other niche restaurants. These places need your support the most. It’s not too late to turn this around, but it’s close. Please visit us tonight! Visit us next week. We need you.
Often we learn a bar, restaurant, or retailer has closed and voice our disappointment. We talk about how much we miss local establishments and bemoan the national chains or cookie cutter business concepts that eventually take their place. Through being vulnerable and brutally honest, Strange Town is giving Milwaukee an opportunity to step in and help before it’s too late.
So if you value local dining, you want to retain a vegan restaurant option, and you want to preserve what’s left of the East Side dining scene, then you know what to do, Milwaukee. Let’s save Strange Town.