It was really his neighbors’ idea that the Sherman Park area needed a coffee house, said Bob Olin. And since a fair proportion of the people living in that area are Orthodox Jews, it seemed only appropriate that such a coffee house be kosher as well.
In this way — in part — was born the Sherman Perk Coffee Shop on 49th St. and Roosevelt Dr., said Olin, the shop’s proprietor. But being kosher is only one of the ways Olin is seeking to make this shop an asset for the whole community.
For one, as much as possible, Sherman Perk serves products produced locally, Olin said, including Alterra brand coffees, Rishi teas, bakery from Le Parve kosher bakery and kosher dairy sandwich fixings from the Kosher Meat Klub.
For another, Olin said the shop this month will begin featuring live entertainment. The first weekend of the month will feature poetry reading by local poets; the second and fourth weekends live music from local groups — among them the Moshe Skier Band, which will perform “Jewish Blues and Jazz” on Saturday, Nov. 10, 7 p.m.; the third weekend local stand-up comedians.
Then there’s the building. Sherman Perk is helping preserve a Milwaukee architectural landmark — a 1939-vintage former gas station, built in a style called “streamlined moderne,” according to Olin. It is one of the few such buildings remaining in the country, Olin added.
The way Olin acquired it is a complex story. Suffice to say that the previous owner was in arrears on city property taxes, and a relatively new state law enabled the city to take the property and transfer it to another person, provided that person would develop it and do the appropriate environmental clean-up, said Olin.
Olin, 45, had not previously thought of going into such a business. Since this Whitefish Bay High School grad obtained his business degree at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, he had been a business executive in such fields as insurance, human resources and computer manufacturing. Moreover, he admitted that he was not a big coffee fancier previously.
“I had vowed never to get involved in retail,” Olin said. But this idea and opportunity were different. “There was a void for people who like coffee shops” that this operation could fill. “And the property was located in a beautiful residential area. The image of what we could end up with was too enticing to pass up on.”
Moreover, he and his wife, Patrice, had been living in the Sherman Park area since 1981. “One characteristic we like about the Sherman Park area is its inclusiveness, racial, religious and otherwise,” said Olin. So it was just “proper” that his coffee house be accessible to the area’s Orthodox contingent, he said.
Olin acquired the property in April and opened the shop in August. Then and now, he is working with several people on the kashrut issues: Rabbi Benzion Twerski of Congregation Beth Jehudah, Howard Karsh of the Sherman Park Jewish Initiative, Le Parve proprietor Erwin Zimmerman and Rabbi David and Marcia Eisenbach of the Kosher Meat Klub.
Olin said he made it clear from the start that he was making the shop kosher “as a courtesy,” but that it would be open seven days a week; and that he wanted to serve all the estimated 45,000 Sherman Park population, of which only about 800 are Orthodox Jews. (Olin said he got those numbers from the Sherman Park Neighborhood Association.)
Fortunately, Olin said, he operates under some limits. There’s not enough room in the building for food preparation, and “I never wanted a restaurant” anyway, he said. This has helped smooth the way for cooperation.
For example, Sherman Perk’s busiest day is Saturday, and its customers want fresh bakery. But Le Parve doesn’t work on Saturday. So they have worked out an arrangement that “the last thing” Le Parve does Friday afternoon is bake for Sherman Perk and seal the goods, so they stay fresh for Saturday.
Olin has similar arrangements with the Kosher Meat Klub so Sherman Perk can receive sandwich fixings for Saturday and Jewish holidays.
(Twerski explained to The Chronicle that an establishment owned and operated by a Jew cannot be certified kosher if it operates on the Sabbath and holidays. However, one owned by a non-Jew can be, provided it is “within walking distance of somebody who can provide supervision.” Sherman Perk is close to the residences of Twerski and Rabbi Tuvia Torem, who will also be supervising.)
So far, the shop has been working out “better than expected,” said Olin. It is already becoming something of a community hub. The Sherman Park Neighborhood Association has had a meeting there, as have more informal community groups.
“It really speaks to the personality of Sherman Park” that different segments of the community can make use of the coffee shop, said Olin. “It is tremendously rewarding to meet so many good people.”
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