Dec. 10, 2018 – West Bend, WI – Just three short weeks after the making the initial announcement on WashingtonCountyInsider.com about a new cafe/bakery opening in West Bend the new Cafe Floriana is starting to take shape.
Katherine Schenk and her sister Sara Young will be opening the new shop in the lower level of the Cast Iron building, 611 Veterans Avenue.
“Our parents live in the building and we would come visit them and there was no place to get a cup of coffee and a sandwich or muffin,” said Schenk. “We recognized there was a need here in the building and there was space available.”
During a recent tour Schenk outlined what’s ahead. “You’ll have to excuse the mess,” she said. “We have walls up, the concrete floor is in, plumbing is in and HVAC is underway.”
Using a little imagination Schenk detailed some of the interior layout including the service bar, bakery counter, espresso bar, food prep for muffins and breads.
“We’ll be able to seat 35 to 40 and our menu will have a lot of items to-go,” she said. “We’re also bringing in special wood beams across the ceiling and that will help dampen some of the echoing.”
Schenk said “construction is on schedule and hopefully we’ll open in early to mid-February.”
Click HERE to read more about Cafe Floriana.
The Cast Iron was once home to the West Bend Aluminum Company and in 2016 owner, Jane Hendricks, completed a major remodel and turned the old factory into high-end apartments featuring 13-foot ceilings with exposed duct work, granite counter tops and stainless steel appliances.
While the studio units and 2-and-3-bedroom apartments rented out Phase II of development started.
The retail began to take off with Tochi Ramen and the Rivershores YMCA next door along with new neighbor Children’s Hospital which moved in January 2018.
In its heyday the West Bend Company was a place where men met their wives, where their children worked and their children worked.
West Bend Company was one of the largest employers in the community as entire families would be on the lines manufacturing aluminum cookware or electrical appliances.