Menomonee Falls is losing a long-running frozen custard stand at the end of the month.
Pop’s Frozen Custard, N87W16459 Appleton Ave., has announced in a social media post that it will close on Aug. 31. However, the stand is being offered for sale, so someone could buy it and keep it open.
“After a great 45 years, we’ve made the difficult decision to close our doors,” the post reads. “Navigating the last few years has been an incredible challenge. The long road to recovery post-COVID, coupled with increases in food and labor costs, has created an obstacle we can no longer overcome.
“We've poured our hearts into keeping Pop’s the small-town custard shop that you loved from your childhood. We are incredibly proud and honored to have been a part of your memories.
To our amazing customers and this incredible community, thank you. Your support, laughter, and shared moments have meant the world to us. You made this journey unforgettable, and this decision even more difficult.
“We're not ready to see the legacy end, so Pop’s is officially for sale. We are hopeful that someone will continue to serve up delicious food to our amazing community and be able to dedicate the time and effort that it deserves.
“We will remain open until August 31st, so we hope to see you stop in for 1, 2, or 10 quarts of your favorite flavors!”
Sharon Whitman, who owned Pop’s for 33 years, sold the business to longtime employee Jill Katheiser in 2017.
My family and I have always enjoyed Pop’s and the sundaes are so good that a photo of one of them even made it onto the cover of the book, “Milwaukee Frozen Custard,” that I co-wrote. Here’s hoping someone with the passion and pocketbook can step in and keep Pop’s running for another 45 years.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press. A fifth collects Urban Spelunking articles about breweries and maltsters.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has been heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
