Metro Pantry and Food: The Proposed New Business Coming to Riverwest

A town hall hosted by Milwaukee’s common council featured Riverwest residents sharing their concerns about a proposed new business, Metro Pantry and Food, which will take the place of the old Dollar General on Locust St.

On a chilly November night, nearly 40 residents of Milwaukee’s East Side, mainly Riverwest, gathered to voice their thoughts on the new business. Recurring threads were discussions on the hours of operation, security concerns, and the sale of tobacco and vape products.

Alex Brower, the recently elected alderman of Milwaukee’s 3rd district, hosted the meeting inside the Gordon Park pavilion, an echoey building just down the road from the property on Locust.

Owner and Business

The proprietor of the proposed business, Alaa Abdewaser, presented his business plan at the meeting. Though Abdewaser is from just outside Cleveland, Ohio, he owns and operates multiple businesses on Milwaukee’s East Side and has been here for 10 years. 

Metro Pantry and Food would be his third business. His two current businesses are the Blue Dream Vape & Smoke locations at 2865 N Murray Ave and 3473 N Oakland Ave.

Abdewaser highlighted his experience managing those stores, as well as a previous grocery store in Racine, which he has since sold.

The proposed business would be part convenience store and part carry-out restaurant. He currently has no plans for dine-in, alcohol or fresh produce.

“I want to start small,” Abdewaser said.

He purchased a franchise of BirdShack, a fried chicken brand out of Birmingham, Alabama. Abdewaser has applied for a food license as well as a cigarette, tobacco, and electronic vaping device license, according to Brower.

According to the business license proposal, the estimated percentage of sales for the convenience store would be 41% food, 9% tobacco and vape products and 50% secondhand merchandise.

Though Abdewaser’s other two businesses are smoke and vape stores, he said that smoke products would not be a large part of this one. He said that the selection would be minimal and those products would be kept behind the counter. 

Still, community members were not thrilled about another store selling tobacco and vape products. One resident challenged Brower to share his thoughts on the matter, but Brower declined, opting to remain neutral.

Abdewaser would not budge on the sale of tobacco and vape products. He said that it is essential for a business of this sort, and that he would stock them because they are what is in demand.

Neighboring Opinions

A large portion of the audience, which totaled nearly 40 people, was from the neighboring condominium complex. Their concerns were mostly about how the new business would affect them, considering their very close proximity.

“I see everything that happens in that parking lot,” said one resident, who says that her balcony overlooks the property.

The most contentious issue amongst the community, especially those in the neighboring condo, was the proposed hours of operation. Abdewaser proposed hours from 6 a.m. to midnight. These hours were met with severe grumbling and disapproval.

“That’s way too late,” said one resident.

The audience countered with closing times at 8 or 9 p.m. The consensus was that a store open later than that would be disruptive to neighbors trying to sleep.

“This would be the only business for blocks,” said another resident, who was concerned about the late-night traffic to the store.

One man argued this point, saying that it would be more convenient for those who have different schedules, such as working the night shift.

“It’s good to have a neighborhood store within walking distance,” said the man, who supported Abdewaser’s goals to have his business open late. 

Some members of the audience and Abdewaser made the point that closing that early would be “unreasonable” for a convenience store. He said that he was open to discussions of the hours, but stressed that shorter hours may harm his business, especially the restaurant.

“I have quotas that I need to meet,” said Abdewaser, referencing the franchise that he purchased for the restaurant portion.

He highlighted 10 p.m. to midnight as prime hours for delivery services like DoorDash, which would make up a significant portion of sales for his takeout-only restaurant.

Security Concerns

Residents were very concerned about security on the property and in the surrounding areas. Many cited failures of the previous tenant, Dollar General, not policing things like loitering in the large parking lot. 

One of Abdewaser’s points when talking about security was the importance of fostering a community with his businesses. He argued that family-owned businesses are generally more respected within the community than a corporate chain.

“We’re not just here for a paycheck,” Abdewaser said. “I’m looking to put my best employees at this business.”

Even with the expectation of community respect, Abdewaser committed to contracting security from a private firm. He promised that armed security would be on-site during all business hours. 

In addition to the armed security personnel, he also said that he would be purchasing a portable security tower for the parking lot. The tower would have a camera, which would supplement a planned 35 security cameras inside, according to the official city business information form.

The other security concern was the alley, which the property shares with the neighboring condo building. The residents of said condo were not happy with how the old Dollar General treated the alley, saying that they often blocked driveways with dumpsters and delivery trucks.

Abdewaser committed to respecting the alley, along with fixing the fencing and backyard dumpster area of the property. He also made sure to address residents’ concerns about litter. The business information form lists 5 garbage cans in and around the building.

Work has begun on the inside of the property, such as plumbing and flooring. They are still waiting for the construction to be done, and even then, the health department still has to inspect the building.

Abdewaser and Brower estimated that the new Metro Pantry and Food, if it passed final approval steps, would not be open for at least three to four months.