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For every $1 you spend at a locally owned business, more than 68¢, versus 43¢ spent at a national chain, remains in Milwaukee. Locally owned businesses maintain Milwaukee's unmistakable style. When you're in Milwaukee, you know it!

Our Stories

At the heart of every locally owned business is a story. We asked a few Local First Milwaukee members to share some insight as to what makes their business tick and why being local is so important to them. Let's find out what they had to say. Each was given the same set of questions to answer.

  1. Okay, five words or less - what is (Your Business) all about?

  2. What is the most rewarding thing about being an independent, local business?

  3. Name one thing about (Your Business) that would surprise our community?

  4. What does local mean to you?

  5. I'm visiting Milwaukee for the first time - what is ONE thing I shouldn't miss (besides shopping at your place, of course!)?

Photos by stephanie bartz photography.


Bob Kashou, Kashou Carpets

  1. Meeting today's competition with a history of quality and service.

  2. Putting my name behind the work we do, and seeing our customers return.

  3. The diversity of our products, from the widest selection of area rugs and Persian carpets to wall-to-wall carpeting and flooring.

  4. This is a poster I came across, and it seems to say it all. When you buy from a mom and pop business you are not helping a CEO buy a third vacation home. You are helping a little girl get dance lessons. A little boy get his team jersey. A mom or dad put food on the table. A family pay a mortgage or a student pay for college. Our customers are our shareholders and they are the one we strive to make happy. Thank you for supporting small business.

  5. A walk down by the lakefront.


Pam Mehnert, Outpost Natural Foods

  1. We're about fresh, local, great tasting food.

  2. For a co-op like Outpost, it's rewarding to see community support by more and more people becoming co-op owners. with more than 17,000 local owners our business is a good model of money staying local and regenerating our local economy.

  3. Back in 1973, Outpost was part owner in a restaurant called the Fertile Dirt, located in the now demolished Sidney Hih building.

  4. To me "local" means strong partnerships. Whether that's between Outpost and our vendors or Outpost and our owners or community members. It's the partnerships that form that bring innovation and sustainability into the communities we all enjoy living in.

  5. Don't miss the Chudnow Museum of Yesteryear. It just opened up in August and is a wondeful representation f our city's rich history in a history building set up like the streets of Old Milwaukee.


Steph Davies, The Waxwing

  1. Supporting & encouraging local art/artists (I cheated by making the "&" a symbol and not a word).

  2. Spending every hour of my day/week/month working on a project that means something to me, whether it's my own personal artwork or building upon the community of artists in the shop.

  3. Our space is only 400 sq. feet but home to over 90 local artists.

  4. Local means the community around you, whether that be your street, your city, your state or a community of people (artists/musicians/actors/teachers/doctors/lawyers) with like-minds that offer a foundation of support/understanding/encouragement while always challenging you to push just a little further.

  5. Take a long walk or drive along the lakefront.


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