After nearly five years of coffee, conversation and live jazz in Harambee, Sam’s Place Jazz Café will close its doors this week at 3338 N. Doctor M.L.K. Jr. Dr.

Owner Sam Belton announced that the café will serve its final customers on Friday, Feb. 20, citing ongoing economic challenges and shifts in the local business landscape as reasons for the closure.

Since opening in 2021, Sam’s Place has carved out a distinct identity as “Milwaukee’s Jazziest Coffeehouse,” blending locally roasted coffee, breakfast and lunch offerings with a steady soundtrack of jazz, both recorded and live. But in addition to being a neighborhood café, it became a community living room: a place for neighbors to meet, artists to perform and conversations to unfold across generations.

“This decision was not made lightly,” Belton said in a statement. “While this chapter is coming to a close, what we built together will always live on in the relationships formed with neighbors, the memories shared with patrons and the community we were honored to serve. We remain hopeful about what’s next and grateful for the journey.”

Like many locally owned restaurants and cafés, Sam’s Place faced rising costs, evolving consumer habits and the long tail of pandemic-era disruption. Despite those headwinds, the café remained rooted in its mission to nourish community through food, coffee and culture.

The café also played a visible role in the Harambee neighborhood’s ongoing growth. In 2018, Milwaukee-based foundation Bader Philanthropies relocated its offices to Harambee and later invested in Sam’s Place to help expand its facilities and better serve neighborhood residents.

“Bader Philanthropies moved to Harambee in 2018 to connect with human beings and to enrich how the Foundation sees its work,” said Dan Bader, president and CEO of the foundation. “Sam’s Place enabled people from around Milwaukee to engage in meaningful dialogue and imagine what is possible for our community.”

Belton described that backing as more than financial.

“Bader Philanthropies’ support of our business was more than an investment,” he said. “It was a statement of their belief in me and this community.”

Community members are invited to stop in during the café’s final days of service, Wednesday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. A Black History Soul Food lunch is planned for Thursday, Feb. 19 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., offering patrons one last opportunity to gather, share memories and celebrate the space.

The team extended gratitude to its patrons, staff, partners and supporters who sustained the café through both prosperous and challenging seasons.

For updates and reflections, visit samsplacejazz.com.