Updated on July 27 with information from Dave London, owner of The Philly Way.
The Philly Way, the sandwich shop specializing in Philadelphia-style cheese steaks located at 405 S. 2nd St., has closed.
The announcement was made in an early morning posting to the restaurant's Facebook page.
Philly Way opened their doors at the Walker's Point location in 2000. They also maintained locations on Brady Street and in Cudahy; both of which have since closed.
We spoke with Dave London, owner of Philly Way, who notes that an increase in rent was the impetus for the closure.
"We've been in this space for the last 16 years," he says. "We were one of the first restaurants in Walker’s Point, and we’d love to stay here. I’ve reached out to the new owner of the building to try to negotiate, and he just wouldn’t hear it."
London says he's been scouting for a new location for the Philly Way business, which he plans to reopen as soon as he can.
"We've had such an outpouring of support on our Facebook page since we announced the news," he says. "We don't know that we'll be able to stay in Walker's Point, but we're looking for the right place so that we can re-open."
According to a report by the Journal Sentinel, Paul Spencer, the prospective owner of the building is currently in talks with tenants who would like to renovate the space to open another restaurant.
Watch OnMilwaukee for additional details as they develop.
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.
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