A new cafe concept slated to open late this summer at 3341 W. North Ave. is aiming to bring adults and children together around their love for breakfast cereal.
Cloud 9 Cereal Bar is the name of the new cafe, which will offer breakfast, lunch and snack options, many of which will incorporate favorite breakfast cereals.
Behind Cloud 9 is Kristina Rucker, a certified nursing assistant and funeral services professional who has always dreamed of being her own boss.
“I‘ve always wanted to start my own business and give back to the community,” she says, noting that her dream has been years in the making. “I love to cook...it’s one of my favorite things to do. And I’m very good at breakfast.”
Rucker says she’s looked for spaces before without success. But more recently, she came upon the North Avenue retail space – located just across the street from the Boys & Girls Club – while hunting for a commercial kitchen. The 550 square foot space is small, she says, but it has a kitchen. So, she says she’ll start off small, but grow her dream from there.
The plan, Rucker says, is to give the space a “Candyland theme” featuring bright yellow walls, televisions and cereal-inspired artwork. From there, she says, she’ll present an affordable menu of items including bowls of cereal, pancakes and waffles incorporating flavored cereals and items like cereal shakes.
The shakes, she says, will feature a choice of vanilla, strawberry or chocolate ice cream blended with a choice of two cereals. Other add-ins like Twinkies or Little Debbies might also be included, resulting in cake shakes or cake and cereal shakes.
“If you’re an adult, I want it to be a place that makes you feel like a kid again,” she says. “And I want it to be a place for kids to come out and enjoy. We all remember a time in our childhood when we just wanted to mix all our favorite cereals together. This is that place.”
Rucker says she’ll also have some standard menu items, including her signature chicken and waffles.
“We want to start out slowly,” she says, “And do a few things really well. But as we get moving we’ll introduce new items.”
Rucker says she expects Cloud 9 Cereal Bar to be open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday through Wednesday (closed on Thursdays). You can follow Cloud 9 Cereal Bar on Facebook.
Lori is an avid cook whose accrual of condiments and spices is rivaled only by her cookbook collection. Her passion for the culinary industry was birthed while balancing A&W root beer mugs as a teenage carhop, fed by insatiable curiosity and fueled by the people whose stories entwine with each and every dish. She’s had the privilege of chronicling these tales via numerous media, including OnMilwaukee and in her book “Milwaukee Food.” Her work has garnered journalism awards from entities including the Milwaukee Press Club.
When she’s not eating, photographing food, writing or recording the FoodCrush podcast, you’ll find Lori seeking out adventures with her husband Paul, traveling, cooking, reading, learning, snuggling with her cats and looking for ways to make a difference.
