A couple years ago Michael and Amy Richichi were driving to their home in Franklin after an evening movie when they decided they wanted to stop for coffee and dessert. Not wanting to sit in a loud bar, they realized their options for the area were quite limited.
"We thought that if we were looking for a place to go, there's bound to be other people looking for the same thing," says Michael.
By November 2004 the Richichis brought their ideas to fruition and opened the first Moondance Coffee at 5620 S. 108th St. in Hales Corners. The café a huge success, the Richichis pressed on and less than a year later, their second location at 7001 S. 27th St. was open for business.
Now that the Richichis has successfully won the hearts of Milwaukee's suburban coffee clientele, they say they are ready to take on a whole other pot of coffee -- Downtown.
The couple's third Moondance location is set to open in late May in the Marshall Building, 207 E. Buffalo St., in the Third Ward.
"Originally, we just wanted bring a nice coffeehouse to the suburbs -- to have somewhere to go that was near our home," says Michael. "But the owners of the Marshall Building actually sought us out and we think it's a great idea. The area is really growing."
The inside of a Moondance coffeehouse is cushioned with soft loveseats and chairs, Wi-Fi, magazines, games and a separate area for the kids to hang.
"We feel the homey atmosphere and quality of drinks is what makes us stand out," says Michael.
Like the other two locations, Buffalo Street's Moondance serves Alterra coffee products, organic, free trade Numi teas (sold by the cup and pot) and homemade desserts from crème brulee, carrot cake, chocolate fondue, to assorted bakery -- all prepared on-site.
What sets the Downtown Moondance apart from the others is the addition and lunch and dinner options, such as soups, salads, sandwiches and paninis priced between $6.99 and $8.99.
"Amy and I have always both enjoyed cooking, and we thought it would be nice to offer some eating options to people who are out all day shopping in the Third Ward."
Moondance Coffee is open 6 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 6 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday, 6:30 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturday and 7:30 a.m.-8 p.m. Sunday. Michael says that he hopes to keep his Third Ward location open later for Gallery Nights and other events happening in the neighborhood.
Moondance Coffee's Web site is moondancecoffee.com.
OnMilwaukee.com staff writer Julie Lawrence grew up in Wauwatosa and has lived her whole life in the Milwaukee area.
As any “word nerd” can attest, you never know when inspiration will strike, so from a very early age Julie has rarely been seen sans pen and little notebook. At the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee it seemed only natural that she major in journalism. When OnMilwaukee.com offered her an avenue to combine her writing and the city she knows and loves in late 2004, she knew it was meant to be. Around the office, she answers to a plethora of nicknames, including “Lar,” (short for “Larry,” which is short for “Lawrence”) as well as the mysteriously-sourced “Bill Murray.”
