A gnome is the guardian of the garden, but in South Milwaukee it’s one of the city’s Space Race winners.
Ben Fairly and his wife, Meredith, were one of two winners of the city’s Space Race contest as part of Renew Towns, a storefront competition designed to spur small business investment.
The contest wasn’t related to outer space – though the name is a tie-in to the South Milwaukee High School Rockets team name – but instead the winners get a year of free rent in a storefront in the city’s downtown.
The Fairly family is launching GNOME Restaurant at 1009 Milwaukee Ave.
The space has been gutted and there’s a lot of renovation work ahead, but Ben Fairly said he’s hoping to be open within a year. The logistics of exactly when the free rent starts are still being finalized, he said.
As for the restaurant’s name, Fairly said he and his wife settled on GNOME because “it’s a nice word to look at and a nice word to say.” He also said the name was chosen because it fits the spirit of the project with a certain memorable charm.
Finding out GNOME won
Entrants uploaded videos pitching their business idea and the community voted on their favorites, whittling the field down to a half dozen options. A group of judges interviewed those final six contestants and picked two winners.
Fairly said he didn’t know GNOME Restaurant was one of the two winners until the announcement at a special event April 9 at the Bucyrus Club in South Milwaukee.
“I couldn’t believe it,” he said. “There were so many great entries that anyone could’ve won. Being selected was exciting and deeply affirming.”
Fairly is happy with his new storefront’s features, such as space in the back for outdoor dining.
“If you open up the back door you can see the farmers market,” he said. “Perfect space. Perfect opportunity.”
Both winners will get free rent for a year in a South Milwaukee storefront. The other winner was 7 Bridges Record Lounge which will move in nearby at 1003 Milwaukee Ave.
Bringing farm-to-table to South Milwaukee in an artistic way
Fairly wants to bring a farm-to-table sensibility to the restaurant with a focus on sustainability. The couple already has a large outdoor space at their home on the northwest side of Milwaukee where they grow fruits and vegetables and also practice composting.
They hope to incorporate their home-grown food and sustainability approach to the South Milwaukee space.
“Our goal is to challenge ourselves to operate with less waste and more intention,” Fairly said, noting the goal is to avoid using plastic wrap, disposable gloves, and aluminum foil as much as possible.
Fairly said he also likes the connection between GNOME and his visual artwork.
“In addition to being a chef, I am also a working artist, and that creative side will absolutely find its way into the space,” he said. Fairly plans to incorporate non-reusable restaurant materials into artwork.
He said what that will look like is undetermined until the business is fully up and running.
“But I like the idea that even parts of the restaurant’s waste stream can be reimagined into something thoughtful, strange, and beautiful,” he said.
What will be on the menu at GNOME?
The menu will be “Midwestern comfort food with some European accents,” according to Fairly. He called it “honest cooking” with extra virgin olive oil, butter, beef tallow and no deep fryer.
Some specialties he’s hoping to offer include an Amish chicken pot pie with carrots, peas, potatoes and a homemade pastry crust. Sandwiches will also be on the menu along with a hot dog served in a toasted baguette.
Fairly said he wants the restaurant to be kid-friendly, and he plans to have the “Lil Gnomies” menu and potentially some kid-focused events such as simple cooking classes or worm composting workshops.
Fairly has decades of experience in the restaurant industry
Fairly said he has close to 30 years of restaurant experience starting with washing dishes as a teenager. He never went to culinary school but instead learned on the job.
“I just fell in love with it,” he said of the culinary career path. “A lot of chefs fall in love with the sights and sounds.”
He worked as a chef at the Hi Hat Lounge in Milwaukee, the former Sauce in the Third Ward, plus Tenuta’s Italian Restaurant in Bay View, among others.
Looking at opening a restaurant in South Milwaukee for a year
In exploring potential restaurant locations, the Fairlys have been in communication with the City of South Milwaukee for about a year. Ben Fairly said he was looking at smaller spaces outside Milwaukee and was out to dinner with a friend from South Milwaukee who mentioned the city’s downtown had some empty storefronts.
Fairly connected with Ericka Lang, the city’s economic development manager, to pitch his sustainable restaurant concept. He said it was received well and he was looking for the right opportunity.
When Renew Towns came to South Milwaukee, Fairly said Lang reached out and suggested he and Meredith enter the competition.
To those who supported and voted for GNOME, Fairly wanted to say thank you and it means a lot that so many people in the city believe in what he and his wife want to build.
Contact Erik at erik.hanley@jrn.com. Follow his Facebook page, The Redheadliner Erik S. Hanley, and follow him on X @Redheadliner.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: GNOME Restaurant is coming to South Milwaukee after winning contest
Reporting by Erik S. Hanley, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
