A husband-and-wife team is planning to bring a taste of Havana to Milwaukee's East Town neighborhood this fall, with a Cuban-style coffeehouse and cocktail bar called Café Colada slated for the space across from Cathedral Square Park. Aaron and Lisett Gersonde are the owners and operators behind the concept, which is set to occupy 825 N. Jefferson St., Suite 150 — the former home of Classy Girl Cupcakes.
According to Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Café Colada is a project of Aaron and Lisett Gersonde that has been years in the making, drawing inspiration from Lisett Gersonde's life growing up and living in Cuba. The couple plans to manage and serve at the café together, with Aaron putting the majority of his time and energy into running the new spot while Lisett serves, as he put it, as the soul of the restaurant. The location sits between Electric Lime Taqueria and Elsa's on the Park, and the goal, per the same account, is for Café Colada to feel like a little piece of Cuba in Milwaukee.
The business news outlet bizjournals.com reports that the spot is eyeing a fall 2026 opening in East Town, describing the aim as making the café feel like a quick vacation to the Caribbean in the middle of Milwaukee. That timeline, however, is not locked in — the Journal Sentinel reports Café Colada has no set opening date, even as licensing applications were submitted this September.
A Menu Built Around Cuban Comfort
By day, Café Colada will focus on coffee, with cafés con leche, cortados and cafecitos on the menu, alongside Cuban sandwiches, house-made pastries, croquetas and empanadas. As evening sets in, the drink menu shifts to cocktails, with mojitos and other tropical beverages taking over — a transition the owners envision as moving the space from a spot for quick coffee and social gatherings into a livelier nighttime scene.
Milwaukee Record reports that license applications filed for Café Colada describe it as a café serving coffee, food, beer and wine, with projected sales split at 50% non-alcoholic drinks and 25% each for alcoholic drinks and food. Listed hours in those applications run 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday through Saturday. A sample breakfast menu included in the filings lists chorizo croquettes and ham, egg and cheese sandwiches, while pastries include besitos de coco and guava ring cake, alongside sandwich options like a Cuban sandwich, a medianoche and empanadas.
Warm Tile, Warm Wood and a Familiar Face Behind the Bar
The design plan calls for patterned tile and warm wood throughout the space, aiming for what the owners describe as a warm, welcoming and lively atmosphere. Lisett Gersonde has made Milwaukee her home for many years, and Aaron Gersonde told the Journal Sentinel that she is thrilled to share her culture with the city through the new café.
Aaron Gersonde brings roughly 15 years of experience running restaurants to the project. He started Stand Eat Drink Hospitality in 2013, the same year the company opened its first location, Movida at Hotel Madrid, and he remains a partner in the hospitality group, which also operates the Walker's Point restaurant and speakeasy Don's TV & Repair — though he is no longer involved in that company's day-to-day operations as he turns his focus to Café Colada.
