Milwaukee pizza shop temporarily closes after tree falls on roof during storms
MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) — Damage from Tuesday night's storm has forced a Milwaukee pizza shop to close until further notice, after a massive tree fell on top of their building.
"I was really emotional last night. Every single emotion, for sure," said Ann Brock, the owner of Wy'east Pizza, just south of the Washington Heights neighborhood on Hawley and Vliet Street.
Brock got a stressful phone call from a neighbor after storms swept through Milwaukee.
"She heard something really loud and came out and saw sparks and the damage from the tree," said Brock.
She and her husband rushed to the shop, pushing through fallen branches of what turned out to be a huge tree from the yard next door, crushing the roof of the shop.
Even inside the pizza shop, a thick branch is poking through the ceiling, right above the brick oven.
"Unfortunately, there's significant amount of utility work involved in the areas," Brock explained. "Our oven wasn't damaged, as far as we know."
Right now, they don't know the extent of the damage.
The first step is removing the tree - which Brock expects to cost $18,000.
"They need to bring a crane to lift it out," she explained.
Money isn't her main concern, though, it's the people who call Wy'east home.
"We've been open for 10 years. We're a big part of the community. We have an incredibly loyal customer base. So, there's so many people we see all the time," Brock explained. "Then all of a sudden, that's not happening for us, or them, or our employees. I just really feel the profound loss."
She hopes to fire up the oven again soon, and said the staff appreciates the hundreds of customers who have sent their love.
"We do not feel alone. We definitely feel like people care and they understand," Brock said.
The owners are waiting to hear from their insurance company to determine the next steps.
If - or when - they need any help from the community, they will post on Wy'east Pizza's social media.