Local Business Spotlight: Sherman Park Grocery
When I walked into Sherman Park Grocery, one of the first moments that stayed with me had nothing to do with the layout or the signage. It had to do with community. A woman came in, she bought a jar of spaghetti sauce and a single bell pepper. A normal occurrence, but instead of leaving right away. She lingered. She smiled and laughed while she chatted with Moe. There was ease in the exchange. Familiarity. She came in, bought what she needed, and left having been acknowledged as a person.
This is the environment that owner Maurice “Moe” Wince has created. His store,
Sherman Park Grocery, operates in a neighborhood where access to a full-service grocery store has never been guaranteed. Sherman Park has long been shaped by gaps, instability, and turnover that has affected access to fresh, local foods. Moe decided to change that.
Under his guidance, Sherman Park Grocery has been publicly recognized for prioritizing fresh food access, promoting healthy habits, and for operating without alcohol or tobacco sales. Community responsibility shows up here in visible ways, through consistency, through familiarity, and through being present day after day.
But when winter rolls around, that can bring additional challenges to a small business like Moe’s. Heating and utility costs rise. People tighten their budgets. Foot traffic shifts.
But Moe is full of energy, and that energy carries into his space. You can feel how much care he puts into the grocery itself and into the soul food he prepares and sells on Sundays. His wife, Yashica Spears, is present alongside him. The store reflects their shared commitment.
Sherman Park Grocery is a Black-owned, community-rooted grocery store serving the Sherman Park neighborhood in Milwaukee.
Sherman Park Grocery has consistently been described as a neighborhood anchor. Local organizations and residents have emphasized its importance as a walk able food access point and as an infrastructure that supports daily life in Sherman Park. Moe has fostered collaborations with local businesses and nonprofits such as UpStart Kitchen, Clean Laundry, and Community IMPACT, Inc.
What stands out in this moment is the presence of positive responses from the neighborhood. Community members, neighborhood associations, and local advocates have taken steps to draw attention to the store’s importance and to encourage continued support. That response recognizes the store as a shared asset whose stability matters to the surrounding neighborhood.
And though the weather is brisk and sometimes unforgiving, Sherman Park Grocery is moving through winter as a working business embedded in the life of its community. Thriving and supporting the neighbors that need it most.
So if you have some time, stop by the store, strike up a conversation with Moe, and leave with some delicious locally grown food and the knowledge that a Milwaukee staple is here to stay.
