Vendors unsure what's next after Crossroads Collective announces it will close May 8, restaurant to take over

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Crossroads Collective, the city of Milwaukee's first food hall when it opened seven years ago, will close in a few weeks on May 8.

A local restaurant operator made an offer to take over the space. In a Facebook post, the food hall's marketing team wrote it's "a move that reflects what Crossroads has always stood for giving small businesses a place to grow."

But now five current vendors are faced with difficult decisions as they'll lose their spaces.

Jodi Hogerton is the marketing director for New Land Enterprises, which owns the building at the corner of North and Farwell. She told us, "Having a new restaurant come in here, it just makes it a little bit more stable."

That was the big draw when a local restaurant operator approached New Land looking for space to expand.

Hogerton said the 7,000 square-foot space at Crossroads Collective checked all the boxes.

Since it opened, Crossroads Collective has hosted about 30 vendors.

Hogerton said, "We're just really grateful and proud of all the really talented chefs and entrepreneurs that have come through these stalls."

But she said food halls are a tricky business model because when vendors succeed, they often leave. That creates a lot of turnover and a near-constant fight to fill the space.

Hogerton cannot say yet what the new restaurant will be, but it will provide some stability for New Land.

But not for the current vendors.

Eva Savva is the co-owner of Temple Goddess Café, inside Crossroads Collective.

Savva told us, "We were caught off guard. It was crushing. We were almost speechless."

She said they had no warning Crossroads would close, and now they don't know what they'll do.

"We're going through the gamut just trying to see what we can do quickly. Or if we should pause and come back. Everything's up in the air now," Savva said.

Savva said she could lose everything they've built, that loyal customers are worried, and their employees could be out of a job.

One of Crossroads' biggest success stories was Egg & Flour, Chef Adam Pavlak's restaurant.

He told us, "It will always be something special for me. It's the very first restaurant I ever owned and operated."

Pavlak spent four years there. It led to opening his own brick and mortar restaurant in Bay View, what he said felt like a graduation thanks to the experience at Crossroads Collective. "Evolving into the next step and having a bigger space, with a larger menu and our own dining room and our own feel."

Hogerton said the owners want to be good partners with the current vendors. "So we've worked toward an agreement with every single one of our vendors to make sure they're in a good place," she said.

But Savva doesn't know if they can find another space or open their own store in time to have a smooth transition. "I don't even think that's possible. But I guess we'll try."

The last day for Crossroads Collective is May 8. That allows vendors to take advantage of the crowds attending the Milwaukee Film Festival just around the corner.

Jodi Hogerton said the vendors will not have to pay rent from now on so that they can maximize their profits. All programming will proceed as planned through May 8.