Walker’s Point has lost one of its neighborhood coffee stops. Full of Beans Café served its final customers last Saturday, closing after nearly a decade of coffee, waffles, baked goods and daily conversation.
The closure followed a retirement decision by owners Rob and JoAnn Hausknecht, who had nearly six decades of combined hospitality experience. According to Urban Milwaukee, the couple cited rising costs, long hours and a desire to slow down; JoAnn plans to continue working as a teacher, while Rob is looking for a new adventure.
On the cafe’s retirement notice, the Hausknechts said they were grateful for nearly 10 years in business. Full of Beans opened in 2017 inside the renovated Mabbett & Breed warehouse building on South 2nd Street.
Waffles, Espresso And A Neighborhood Hangout
The 1,200-square-foot cafe served buttermilk waffles, scones, paninis, bagels and rotating soups, along with lattes, Americanos, steamers, affogatos and Rishi Tea, Urban Milwaukee reports. Its menu was only part of the pitch: the space also offered the sort of cozy seating, books, games and community programming that made a coffee run linger a little longer.
That neighborhood-minded approach was there from the beginning. OnMilwaukee’s opening report described the cafe as a comfortable place to linger, with coffee, homemade food and planned “Waffle Weekends” soon after its 2017 debut.
Another Change Along South 2nd Street
Full of Beans operated near Purple Door Ice Cream, Avenue M Salon & Spa and Indulgence Chocolatiers along the commercial stretch of South 2nd Street. The area also saw the 2025 closure of Just Art’s Saloon across the street after owner Art Guenther died, according to Urban Milwaukee.
For Full of Beans, though, the ending is less about a sudden vacancy than a long-planned handoff from working life to retirement. The Hausknechts are leaving behind a cafe that became part of Walker’s Point’s daily rhythm—and a space whose next chapter has yet to be announced.
