Some Milwaukee restaurant owners are fighting to keep their doors open as they face a perfect storm of challenges that have made 2025 one of the most difficult years in recent memory.READ ALSO | Milwaukee east side establishment Beans Barley is closing after more than 50 yearsSam Sandrin, owner of Midwest SAD, said her mission has always been simple: keep the glasses full and the food tasty.The restaurant's name stands for seasonal affective disorder, focusing on comfort food that makes people feel better. But that mission has become increasingly difficult this year."You might think of it as not an issue where restaurants must be making money. There is nothing further from the truth than that," Sandrin said. Rising costs have hit restaurants particularly hard. Sandrin pointed to chocolate as just one example of how dramatically prices have increased."Just for instance, chocolate rose 54% over the last month. This is not something that you can't not have in a bakery," Sandrin said.Watch: Milwaukee restaurant owners worry about the future after several restaurant closures this year Milwaukee restaurant owners worry about the future after several restaurant closures this yearThe challenges extend beyond ingredient costs to shipping delays and changing consumer habits. The situation has become so dire that several Milwaukee establishments have been forced to ask for help publicly or close entirely.Both Midwest SAD and Strange Town have posted on social media asking for community support.Earlier this month, Beans and Barley on Milwaukee's east side closed its doors, and on Thursday morning, National Cafe in Walker's Point also decided to shut down permanently.For business owners like Sandrin, the balancing act has become nearly impossible."I have this amazing staff that I have to take care of, so they have to have hours. How can I provide them with hours? It's just you level up to kind of level down to level down to level up," Sandrin said.Sandrin believes something needs to change, warning that the local restaurant scene could face devastating losses without community support."People need spaces like this, and I mean if you don't support local, they will leave, like if there's another year like this past one, you're going to see another 50% of restaurants in Milwaukee close," Sandrin said.As Milwaukee's restaurant industry continues to struggle, owners like Sandrin are hoping people will consider smaller businesses when deciding where to spend their money.This story was reported on-air by Brendyn Jones and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.Its about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for TMJ4 on your device.Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.Report a typo or error // Submit a news tip ...read more read less