By Beth Sluys
Northside News
Quite a while ago, the Northside Planning Council published a Northside-focused marketing booklet. The cover made the claim: “Madison’s Northside … Close to everything. Far from Ordinary.”
Those of us who live, work and play on the Northside understand the value of living just a short drive over the Yahara River to get downtown, with lots of open space yet within our reach. We live in an area recovering from intense industrial uses, an ever-expanding food and beverage-focused business community with small business jobs, and exponential growth as we begin to see neighborhoods doubling in size, as we see in the Sherman neighborhood.
In the past eight years, the Northside has welcomed many food and beverage-focused businesses, including a recent addition called the Little Tibet Café & Market in the Northgate Shopping Center. The business will open in the spring of this year.
The owners, Namgyal Ponsar, her brother Tharten Ponsar, and their brother-in-law Thinley Tenzing, are focused on finishing out the specialized kitchen and various aspects of the space. The kitchen will hold a large machine designed for the production of Tibetan dumplings called momo.
Plans also allow for an Indian grocery, sales of Tibetan-crafted goods, and a small café area with WiFi access. Namgya also has plans to have a future offering of Boba (bubble) tea, as well as coffee, hot teas and chilled Mango Lassi (a sweet mango yogurt-based drink).
When I asked Namgyal why she chose to invest in a building and start a business on the Northside, she said, “It is the great location as well as how much I appreciate the community.” She indicated she once lived in Sheridan Triangle and is familiar with the Northside and its offerings.
As a FEED Kitchens food truck vendor turned brick and mortar business owner, Namgyal feels grateful to FEED Kitchens for their help and guidance all along the process. As this new venture launches, FEED Kitchen staff, Chris Brockel and Martee Mikalson, are providing ongoing support. “The hard work of my family and the support of FEED Kitchens and the city has made this all possible,” Namgyal said.
Several other Northside business owners are originally from the area and so it only made sense to them to settle and serve the Northside community.
Bierock owner, Brian Carriveau, opened his business in 2018. “Business has been good, and our menu has grown thanks to chef Cordell Clark. We like to focus on giving back to the community and participate in food, school supply and coat collections that support the local food bank and area schools and the Goodman Center. We like offering space for community events and feel a strong connection here. This is home to me,” Carriveau said.
When considering a place for their business, Northside Lounge owners Simon Dettinger and his wife Emily Devine looked at the Northside and found the perfect location on North Sherman Avenue. “We wanted it to be in our neighborhood and we have gotten amazing support. We love the diversity, and we are so happy to be here,” said Devine. Partnering with area nonprofit organizations, Dettinger and Devine give back to the community and are committed to making the Northside a destination for both local residents and out of town adventurers.
Zach Kmiec is the owner of Cool Bikes North, located in the Northside TownCenter. He moved back to Madison about seven years ago and had the desire to locate a bike shop on the Northside. He feels the shopping center is a central location for various neighborhoods, and he likes the visibility to Northport Drive. Zach has enjoyed opening his shop and has connected with a variety of bikers from neighborhood enthusiasts to high performance athletes. He offers a bike saddle lending library, and this spring will start offering bike fitting services. “I feel great community support and my customers have expressed gratitude to me for opening this shop,” Kmiec said.
A common theme from these local business owners is that there is excitement about the expanding food and drink scene on Madison’s Northside, the innovation and commitment of local entrepreneurs, and the uplifting welcome for new neighbors. They feel that, as more new businesses open, all of them will be successful together. Many of them said, “A rising tide floats all boats.”
