Sobelman’s at Marquette University is not renewing its lease and plans to close around the end of the month, possibly as soon as May 22nd.
Owner Dave Sobelman said the decision to close was a difficult one, and more complicated than a lack of staffing. He said operating multiple locations has taken a toll on him and his wife and co-owner, Melanie, as they get older and as his wife struggles with health issues.
“It was a really tough decision, but I’m confident we made the right one,” said Sobelman. “After the lockdown, when we saw the lack of staff it just got to be super stressful. I want to retire with my wife and enjoy our years together.”
Sobelman said it’s been difficult to find employees since the pandemic, especially cooks and bartenders, from both the Marquette campus and in the community. And the staffing issue in the area isn’t unique to the restaurant; Marquette University is struggling to find students to work on-campus jobs.
“I know student services and the rec have a hard time hiring people,” said Gabe Dally, a senior at Marquette. “People are really focused on developing their career. It feels like you should get an internship, or could make more money working downtown.”
Marquette University owns the building at 1601 W. Wells St. where Sobelman’s has had a location since 2011.
“I have a great relationship with my landlords.” said Sobelman. “We’re partners, in this together. So instead of just giving up in the middle of the school year, we came to the conclusion that we would somehow make it work until the end of the school year.”
The Marquette Sobelman’s has serviced 12 graduating classes, attracting students by accommodating large groups gathering to watch sports and offering a free burger on your birthday. Sobelman said he wants to stay open at least for the 2023 graduation ceremony on Saturday, May 20th, after which the restaurant could see an even greater loss of business and staff — he has four Marquette students currently on his staff, but will likely lose them for the summer.
The Marquette location has been closed on Mondays since the pandemic and started closing on Tuesdays during the past few months. Sobelman said there have been too many days when the restaurant doesn’t have enough staff to open as scheduled.
Sobelman and his wife are considering planning special closing festivities for the last couple of weekends, but nothing official has been announced. They opened the original Sobelman’s location in the Menomonee Valley on 1900 W. St. Paul Ave. 24 years ago.
“We’re not leaving town,” said Sobelman. “There’s still our original location.”
