Discover some Hidden Gems of Wauwatosa
Women-Owned Businesses in Wauwatosa
Wauwatosa is a city filled with small, local businesses that bring so much magic and charm to our community. Many of the most popular spots within our five dynamic districts are women-owned and operated! We are fortunate enough to have so many women-owned businesses, that featuring them all is quite the challenge. We want to celebrate as many of these incredible businesses and the women behind them as possible, so if there’s a place we missed please email us at discoverwauwatosa@gmail.com to let us know!
Arté Wine and Painting Studio (Owned by Kelly Cannizzaro)
The studio is home to trained instructors who provide the artists who walk in their doors with the amount of guidance they need. Whether you’re the next Picasso or in for a fun night with friends and family, their space can adapt to your needs. From birthdays and bridal showers to corporate events and company outings, their studio provides the perfect backdrop. They also offer a full-service bar in case you need any help finding your spark.
Beauty Mark Hair Salon (Owned by Keely Glorioso)
Beauty Mark Hair Salon was founded in 2015 with the purpose of providing an intimate salon setting focused on client comfort and excellence in cosmetology. With well over 20 years in the industry, Keely is an artist with hair. Her discerning eye and creativity can help you achieve any look and take your style to the next level!
Black Twig Bakery (Owned by Julia Block & Chelsea Zweig)
Black Twig Bakery serves up macaroons, cupcakes, cookies, ice cream sandwiches, and more! Their full menu offers classic flavors, but they also feature a monthly menu using seasonal ingredients. Along with their bakery they offer specialty and custom cakes and desserts.
Cafe Blue (Owned by Carly Yiannackopoulos)
Cafe Blue specializes in espresso, coffee, sandwiches, wraps, soups, and more. Their daily breakfast and lunch specials make them a great spot for a quick meal you can visit over and over again!
CLARA Healing Institute (Owned by Kristin Belkofer)
CLARA Healing Institute is a holistic, multi-faceted approach to mental health and wellness. They believe in a balanced, person-centered view of mental health diagnoses, aiming to empower their clients through a variety of disciplines.
Delicious Bites (Owned by Tomira White)
As the name suggests, Delicious Bites offers everything and anything your sweet tooth desires. They offer cheesecake jars, poundcake, cookies, and even savory bites using locally sourced ingredients whenever possible. Delicious Bites is a one-stop shop for food, love, and community.
Fancy Pants Pet Salon (Owned by Erin Hennen)
Fancy Pants Pet Salon is designed to make you and your pet’s lives better through communication, education, and quality care. The salon is named after the snaggle-toothed pup that taught the salon’s owner, Erin Hennen, so much about loving and caring for a pet. Erin’s goal is to make sure every dog that walks through the doors is loved as much as he was.
Flannel Fox (Owned by Melyssa and Mark Bauer)
Flannel Fox offers women’s and men’s apparel and accessories, rustic modern decor, small furniture, and gifts inspired by the tranquility and adventure of being up north. Flannel Fox believes in the quality of their items and service to help customers transform their space into a cozy den.
Flower Lady Tosa (Owned by Karen Ponteri and Angela Miller)
The Flower Lady is a full-service florist serving Wauwatosa and beyond! Home to a wonderland of flowers, plants, and gifts, they are the perfect place to stop and smell the roses…as well as shop for almost any occasion.
Giltee MKE (Owned by Lisa Gilson)
Giltee offers hyperlocal apparel that truly embodies the Midwestern lifestyle. Their high quality and consciously sourced clothing highlight many Midwest delicacies – the buzz of summer festivals, a day at the lake, the clanking of pints at the local dive bar…to name a few.
Heinsight Leather (Owned by Cindy Hein)
Heinsight Leather, named after its founder Cindy Hein, has been offering leather alteration and repair, custom jackets, shearlings, fur accessories, and handbags since opening their Boutique in Tosa Village in 1997.
Hyde Park MKE (Owned by Sydney Sanger)
Hyde Park, a family-owned business turned woman-owned, has been around since the 1930’s specializing in tailoring and dry cleaning for the Wauwatosa area. They also offer a selection of women’s clothing, accessories, and gifts sourced from local designers and artists.
Joy Ice Cream Social (Owned by Liz Joy)
Joy Ice Cream Social is a family-focused ice cream shop in MidTown Tosa. They focus on highlighting small, local shops while scooping the good stuff for our community and its visitors. Stop by for ice cream, made by Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream, coffee, and snacks in an environment where families can connect.
Kelly’s Greens (Owned by Erin Kelly)
Kelly’s Greens works closely with Wisconsin Organic hemp farms to obtain the finest hemp that is then hand-extracted for their small-batch, full-spectrum CBD treats. They offer drinks, baked goods, gummies, and a stunning cafe to help you relax and unwind!
La Tarte (Owned by Liz LeFevre)
La Tarte is a neighborhood bakery and coffee house that will make you feel right at home. They offer tempting pastries, delicious drinks, unique gifts, and plenty of charm. Their pastry team also creates treats for area stores, custom gifts, and corporate orders.
Legacy Gym (Owned by Brittany Holterman)
Legacy Gym is a functional fitness studio, offering group fitness classes, personal training, youth fitness, ninja classes, and parties. Each class is designed to provide a full body functional fitness workout using body weight exercises and a variety of equipment. Legacy Gym is meant for people from all walks of life to come together and connect through fitness, good times, and positive energy.
Little Village Play Café (Owned by Abi Gilman)
Little Village Play Café is your one-stop shop for families with young kids. Engage with other parents, enjoy a drink, experience educational opportunities, and much more while your children let their imaginations run wild in a safe and clean environment.
Megan Papachristou Photography (Owned by Megan Papachristou)
Megan is an award-winning portrait artist, capturing precious memories one photograph at a time. Whether in her Wauwatosa studio or exploring the beauty of the Midwest, Megan helps brings families’ stories to life.
Milestone Plumbing (Owned by Jessica Cannizzaro)
Milestone Plumbing is a woman-owned plumbing business that focuses on the proactive service of your plumbing. They lean on their years of expertise to ensure the proper installation and products for every job and perform the necessary maintenance to keep your plumbing running smoothly.
Mooi (Owned by Carolyn Goris)
Mooi, which is Dutch for “beautiful,” is a great place to find some unique gifts. Mooi has an array of soaps, candles, cards, and clothing. They’re always adding something new to their wide variety of products, which makes it the perfect store to stop in again and again.
Nourish Skin and Sugar Studio (Owned by Anna Jarecki Cure)
If you’re looking for spas in Wauwatosa, look no further than Nourish Skin and Sugar Studio. Their team of licensed estheticians offer services ranging from facials, waxing, sugaring, and more. Whichever route you go, they have a wide variety of options to choose from for every skin type and lifestyle.
Plate Pleasures Eatery (Owned by Mia Redmond)
Plate Pleasures Eatery offers made-from-scratch soul food. The menu is influenced by Mia Redmond’s experiences traveling and going to restaurants with her mother and grandma. They feature southern staples such as fried catfish, po-boys, and smothered pork chops…but don’t forget dessert! You can’t skip out on Mia’s grandmother’s pound cake.
Salamander (Owned by Leslie Matson & Chelsea Shapiro)
Run by a mother-daughter duo, Salamander is a contemporary women’s fashion boutique with clothing and accessories from casual, dressy, or somewhere in between. They carry trendy items by designers from across the country, including jewelry, accessories, shoes, and baby gifts. You are sure to find something high-quality and unique.
Shop Privy (Owned by Erin Juzenas)
Created by Tosa-local Erin Juzenas, Shop Privy is a women’s apparel and accessories boutique that landed in Tosa Village in 2021. Their mission is to provide women with the outfits and styling tools to fit their lifestyle and give them an extra boost of confidence when they walk out the door!
The Little Read Book (Owned by Linda Burg)
The Little Read Book is a full-service bookstore dedicated to the fine art of browsing. It is the perfect store for find gifts, books, and good conversation. Books include best sellers, hot new books, and even books about the local area. Their helpful staff is always ready to suggest a title, take your order, or wrap and ship your gifts.
The Ruby Tap (Owned by Brooke Boomer, Sarah Nelson & Dan Nelson)
Whether you are looking for a date night spot, a stop on your girl’s getaway trip or somewhere to “wine” down, The Ruby Tap is the perfect place. This wine bar features wines on tap from self-service machines, and local Wisconsin beers, cheeses, meats, and desserts. Their staff is knowledgeable and passionate about wine, offering guidance, recommendations, and insights to help guests navigate the wine selection or pairings.
The Village Cheese Shop (Owned by Sabina Magyar)
The Village Cheese Shop offers the best cheeses from producers in the region, the country, and across Europe. Sabrina Magyar, the shop’s owner, combines her passion for European-style cheese with her American Cheese Society credentials to provide an unmatched experience to the Village.
Tosa Yoga (Owned by Melanie Landgraf)
Perfect your practice while exploring East Tosa’s Tosa Yoga. In 2006, Tosa Yoga originally opened its doors in Wauwatosa and soon expanded to the larger Tosa Yoga Center that yoga-lovers know and love today. From Tosa Yoga Flow to Strong Flow: Core Focus, there’s something for every skill level.
Urban Beets (Owned by Dawn Balistreri)
Urban Beets is a premier plant-based cafe serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner. They offer fresh, raw juice, smoothies, and smoothie bowls, as well as a variety of entree’s including gluten-free and soy-free options. Urban Beets also offers craft beer and sake cocktails!
Yo Mama! (Owned by Becker Berger)
Yo Mama! is a self-serve frozen yogurt shop featuring homemade, premium flavors made right in their kitchen. The froyo experience is simple: grab a cup, make your creation, and then weigh and pay. Yo Mama! is sure to offer something you will like with a rotating menu of options. Be sure to use your imagination, because creating this dessert is half the fun.
Know of a women-owned business we missed? Email us at discoverwauwatosa@gmail.com!