Kuumba Juice and Coffee to Close November 15
The Beerline Trail cafe and community gathering space will serve its final day on Sunday, November 15, 2026.
Updated on Oct. 31, 2026 in Openings & Closings
Kuumba Juice and Coffee, a cafe and community gathering space at 274 E. Keefe Ave. in the Connector Building along the Beerline Trail, will close on Sunday, November 15, 2026. The cafe was launched in February 2024 and announced the closure in an Instagram post signed by co-founder Alexander Hagler.
Why it matters
The closure removes a neighborhood gathering space that operated for nearly three years along the Beerline Trail in Milwaukee. It comes as the broader Beerline Trail park effort remains delayed, leaving the future use of the Connector Building unresolved.
Kuumba Juice and Coffee operated for nearly three years at 274 E. Keefe Ave. in the Connector Building, opening in February 2024. Its final day of operation is Sunday, November 15, 2026, with no successor business yet announced.
The players
Kuumba Juice and Coffee
A Milwaukee cafe and community gathering space along the Beerline Trail that offered juices, coffee, and light meals.
Riverworks Development Corporation
A Milwaukee development firm whose affiliate owns the Connector Building and is expected to communicate plans for the space.
The details
Kuumba, launched by Alexander Hagler, Joe Ferch and Ellie Jackson after more than three years of preparation, served cold-pressed juices, Anodyne coffee and espresso drinks, teas, soups, salads and sandwiches. The Connector Building, which opened in September 2023 as a first phase of the Beerline Trail linear park effort, includes an event space for neighborhood gatherings, community classes and trail programming.
Timeline
September 2023: The Connector Building opened along the Beerline Trail.
February 2024: Kuumba Juice and Coffee launched in the building.
October 31, 2026: The closure announcement was published.
Sunday, November 15, 2026: Kuumba Juice and Coffee's final day of operation.
Market Landscape
The Connector Building was the first phase of the Beerline Trail linear park redevelopment in Milwaukee, which is now delayed. The cafe's closure leaves one of the first completed phases without its anchor tenant as the broader project awaits completion.
Residents who relied on Kuumba for coffee, juice, and meals along the Beerline Trail will need to find another option after November 15, 2026. The change also removes a neighborhood event space for classes and trail programming until a new use is announced.
The takeaway
Local readers who used the Connector Building's event space or cafe should watch for announcements from the property owner about future use of the space, since none has been confirmed yet.
What happens next
Updates on what will happen with the Connector Building space will be communicated as they become available.
Further reading
Explore more Openings & Closings news from across Milwaukee.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Urban Milwaukee.
