West Allis grocer honors son’s legacy: 'When there’s breath, there’s hope'

WEST ALLIS, Wis. - The past is always present inside Rupena’s Fine Foods in West Allis. It’s frozen in photographs behind the counter.

"That’s my dad on the left," said Maria Rupena, pointing to a giant picture on the wall. "And my grandpa on the right."

It's mixed with the chickens roasting out back.

"It’s our seasoning," Maria explained. "The seasoning my dad created a long time ago."

And it's stirred into what’s brewing at the café.

"We’re original," Maria, now the President of Rupena’s, stated. "There isn’t anybody else like us."

For Maria Rupena, the main ingredient that’s kept this family business afloat for almost a century, is just that – family.

"People come because they’re so welcomed," Maria said. "And they are loved."

On any given day, Maria's mom can be found holding court.

"I had a whole table full," Priscilla Rupena said, laughing. "I said, I’m not a therapist."

Maria’s brother helps with the business – or puts on a show.

"He plays the keyboard, accordion," said Maria. "So you’ll hear him rocking out sometimes."

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And a niece stops by for food – only to get much more than she expected.

"I’m turning 39 tomorrow," Katie stated.

"Oh, I thought you were 40," Maria replied, drawing a gasp from the 39-year-old. "Sorry, Grandma did too!"

A hard truth

But hidden behind Maria’s smile is a hard truth. Inside Rupena’s, she is always at home – yet never at peace.

"I may seem happy, but I’m not," Maria said, bluntly. "But I need to be here and be solid for my parents, for my brother, for my nieces, for my daughter."

Like their mother, Maria’s two children grew up in these aisles.

"Aly was much easier to take than my Mitch," Maria remembered.

For daughter Aly and son Mitchell, it was like the grocery store version of ‘Cheers.’

"Everybody knew his name," Maria said. "Because I’d say, 'Mitchell, knock it off. Mitch, knock it off. Mitch.' "

While Aly went into nursing, Mitchell shared his mom’s love of cooking and dreamed of opening a coffee shop in the store.

"He loved coffee," Maria said. "He thought he was a coffee connoisseur."

Drinks of a different kind

But drinks of a different kind were Mitchell’s issue – starting in high school and only getting worse in college.

"It was a Friday night," Maria remembered. "And he said, 'Mom, I have a problem.' I said, 'Okay, come talk to me.' He said, 'I think I drink too much.'"

The next week, Mitchell went to a treatment facility. What they thought was the struggle of detoxing turned out to be a hemorrhaged pancreas.

"His sister took on extra shifts at the hospital," Maria said. "So she could keep an eye on him so I could rest a little."

It is always family

For the Rupenas, it is always family.

Mitchell was in and out of the hospital for much of the next year. Whenever he drank, his pancreas flared up. The alcohol issues grew into an addiction to pain meds as well.

"He liked the way the painkillers felt," said Maria. "And then, we were in there all the time."

By Thanksgiving 2022, Maria gave her son an ultimatum:

"It’s the door or you’re going to go to rehab," Maria stated. "Real rehab."

Mitchell spent five weeks at a facility in New Jersey, and got home right after Christmas.

"It was New Years and all his friends went out," said Maria. "And I said, 'Let’s do this, let's do that.' Well, he drank on New Years, by himself."

Apology letter

Maria was furious. She still has the card he wrote as an apology.

"This card is not meant to pity me," Maria read through tears. "It is to show you my gratitude... I know I have put you through hell. But you are my heaven. Love, Mitch."

By the end of January, Mitch told his mom he was happy. He’d asked a girl out. But the morning of Jan. 27, 2023, he did not wake up. Dead of a drug overdose at 22.

And here’s the challenge with running a family business. At home or at work, there’s no escape from the pain.

"As mad as I got at him, you don’t realize it until after," Maria said, tearfully. "When there’s breath, there’s hope. And I didn’t have any more hope. But I do hope for other people."

Mitchell’s Corner Café

For Maria, her pain became a purpose. Mitchell’s Corner Café opened a year after his death. It's a safe space for anyone battling addiction or anything else.

Aly designed the plaque on the counter:

"Those we love don’t go away," said Maria, reading the inscription. "They walk beside us every day. Unseen, unheard, but always near. Still loved, still missed and very dear."

In a store full of food, a listening ear is often what customers truly crave.

"Everybody struggles," Maria said. "And people are embarrassed. Don’t be embarrassed. Don’t ever be embarrassed."

There was a woman living with chronic pain.

"She gave me a hug and she goes, 'My spirit feels better,'" Maria remembered. "And I said, 'I’m glad.' I said, 'Whenever you’re feeling that – or if you’re not – we’re here, just come in.' And she does, every week."

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And there was the young man, around Mitchell’s age, staring at the plaque like a mirror.

"Do you want to know how he died?" Maria asked the man. "And he said, 'Yes.' I said, 'An overdose. By accident.' He said, 'I’m struggling with that.' "

Maria helped the young man get cleaned up, gave him clothes and even a job for a few months.

"And I lost contact with him," Maria said. "And I worry. He’s not my son, but I worry."

For the Rupenas, it is always family.

"There’s a hole in your heart," Maria said of her lost son. "Never goes away, never gets filled. That’s when you really start thinking, 'How can I change this for other people?' "

At a place where the past and present are inextricably intertwined, Maria Rupena has hope for the future.

"If we could save one," Maria stated. "One person, we’re doing our job. You can’t be quiet about it. You can’t be quiet about it. You got to talk about it."