When Angie Wierzbinski and Amy Plennes purchased The National Cafe from Nell Benton in 2019, the two long-time friends had no idea that, within their first year of business ownership they’d confront not only the usual challenges of entrepreneurism, but also the uncertainty of a global pandemic.
During this week’s podcast, we chat with the two owners about their decision to take over the longtime neighborhood cafe, the magic that makes their partnership work and the grit they employed to make sure the business survived the first stretch of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Along the way, they paint the picture of two friends who’ve made full use of their complementary talents to survive one of the most challenging times in restaurant history.
Find us and love us
The FoodCrush podcast is available via iTunes, Google, Spotify, Stitcher and more. Just search for us on your favorite podcast platform, subscribe for notifications about each new episode and – better yet – help us out by sharing your thoughts in a review on iTunes.
Got an idea for a topic we should consider for FoodCrush? Want to offer feedback on our latest episode? Email me at lori@staff.onmilwaukee.com. You can also give @FoodCrushPod a follow on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for information on future episodes, special features, live tastings and more.
Curious about more FoodCrush content? Check out some of our FoodCrush Live features (including our recent escapade climbing Arby's Meat Mountain).
As a passionate champion of the local dining scene, Lori has reimagined the restaurant critic's role into that of a trusted dining concierge, guiding food lovers to delightful culinary discoveries and memorable experiences.
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 every dish. Lori is the author of two books: the "Wisconsin Field to Fork" cookbook and "Milwaukee Food". Her work has garnered journalism awards from entities including the Milwaukee Press Club. In 2024, Lori was honored with a "Top 20 Women in Hospitality to Watch" award by the Wisconsin Restaurant Association.
When she’s not eating, photographing food, writing or planning for TV and radio spots, 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.
