Milwaukee coffee shop leans on community support after second break-in

Milwaukee coffee shop gets support after break-in

After a second break-in in six months, a Milwaukee neighborhood cafe is now leaning on community support, adding security and going cashless while staying committed to its mission.

MILWAUKEE - A neighborhood coffee shop on Milwaukee’s west side wants to be a place where everyone feels welcome – just not thieves.

What we know:

At Fruition MKE on 27th near Wells, a dream built around coffee and community was shaken again early Monday morning, Jan. 19.

Tiffany Miller, the creative joy director at Fruition MKE, said she received a call she had hoped she wouldn’t get again.

What they're saying:

"I cried the first time. This time, I kept it together," said Miller. "They took my cashbox. This is the second time that’s happened in six months."

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Miller said the break-in has prompted immediate changes to how the café operates and how it protects itself.

"I’ll have a stronger door put in later this week," said Miller. "For now and for the foreseeable future, I will be cashless."

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Surveillance video shows the suspects outside the café, but Miller said what they took cannot compare to the support that followed; while FOX6 was at the café, a woman walked in and handed Miller a check to help replace the damaged door. 

Miller said that generosity is now helping guide her next steps.

"It’s overwhelming to be loved like that and supported," she said.

Big picture view:

And even when a few rotten apples crop up, Miller wants to show her neighborhood there is still good soil to grow in.

"I just want to be here and plant seeds, and I want to see those seeds bloom," she said.