Oscar's Frozen Custard in Brookfield nears reopening after fire
OFFICE ABOUT SPECIFICS ON WHAT LED TO THE CRASH. THE FIRE CHIEF CALLED IT ONE OF THE LARGEST FIRES EVER IN THE TOWN OF BROOKFIELD. >> THE COMMUNITY STAPLE, OSCAR’S FROZEN CUSTARD, BURNED TO THE GROUND IN NOVEMBER OF 2024. THIS IS WHAT THAT SCENE LOOKED LIKE. AND AFTER MONTHS OF REBUILDING, THE ICONIC CONE SIGN IS BACK UP AND READS COMING SOON. 12 NEWS REYES IS LIVE THERE TONIGHT NEAR MORELAND BOULEVARD AND SWENSON DRIVE AND RAYA. THEY’RE CERTAINLY GETTING CLOSER AND CLOSER. >> WE ARE BLAKE THERE. IS THAT COMING SOON? SIGN IN THE ICONIC CUSTARD COMEBACK IS NEARLY HERE. THE OWNER BUILDING UP THIS BUILDING IN THE SAME SPOT OF THAT DEVASTATING FIRE. AND SO EXCITED TO REOPEN A YEAR LATER. >> DOZENS AND DOZENS OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS HAVE STOPPED BY HERE AT OSCAR’S FROZEN CUSTARD TUESDAY MORNING TO GET A LOOK AT THE DAMAGE FOR THEMSELVES. >> 12 NEWS WAS ON THE SCENE THAT NIGHT IN NOVEMBER OF 2024, WHEN THE OSCAR’S FROZEN CUSTARD SHOP IN WAUKESHA COUNTY BURNED. FIRE CREWS ON THE SCENE BATTLING THE BLAZE FOR HOURS AFTER THE ROOF COLLAPSED. THE LOCATION IN THE TOWN OF BROOKFIELD HAVE BEEN OPEN SINCE 1992. >> EVERYBODY’S HEARTBROKEN, EVERYBODY’S HEARTBROKEN. >> AND NOW, IN 2026, THE REBUILD, OSCAR’S FROZEN CUSTARD IS COMING SOON. THE OWNER, SUSIE TAYLOR, IS PREPARING FOR A COMEBACK. >> WE CAN DEFINITELY SEE THE FINISH LINE. THERE’S BIG CHANGES HAPPENING WITH THE BUILDING EVERY SINGLE DAY. EVERY TIME I WALK IN THE DOOR, I’M LIKE, OH GOSH, WHAT’S NEW NOW? >> MOSTLY EVERYTHING. SINCE THE PLACE WAS REDUCED TO RUBBLE EXCEPT SOME VERY IMPORTANT TOOLS. >> MY HUSBAND WAS ABLE TO LOCATE SOME. IT’S VERY OLD CUSTARD MACHINES THAT PRODUCE THE VERY BEST CUSTARD, WHICH WE’RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT. >> BUILDING WITH CARE AND TENACITY, THE SAME WAY THEY MAKE THEIR FROZEN CUSTARD. >> WELL, WE’VE BEEN IN THE CUSTARD BUSINESS FOR 42 YEARS. A RESTAURANT BUSINESS. NOW WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO START FROM SCRATCH AND TO DO THINGS EXACTLY HOW WE WANTED. >> KEEPING THE SAME TRADITIONS ABOUT AS LONG AS THEY KEEP THEIR EMPLOYEES. >> I’VE BEEN WORKING. >> SINCE I WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL, SO I’LL BE GOING ON 20 YEARS THIS YEAR. ACTUALLY, WE WERE DEVASTATED. WE WERE ACTUALLY SITTING IN THE DINING ROOM NEXT DOOR AT 1 A.M., WATCHING IT BURN DOWN, JUST COMPLETELY DEVASTATED AND, YOU KNOW, HOPING THAT WE COULD COME BACK FROM IT AND, YOU KNOW, ZOOM FORWARD AN HOUR HERE. >> REMEMBER THIS DAY LIKE IT WAS YESTERDAY. SO THE BIG QUESTION TONIGHT, WHEN ARE THEY SET TO REOPEN? >> RIGHT. SO THEY ARE SET TO REOPEN TOWARDS THE END OF APRIL. IN THE MEANTIME, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO APPLY TO WORK HERE, YOU CAN PULL UP TO THIS LOCATION. THERE’S ACTUALLY A BLACK BOX RIGHT HERE WHERE YOU CAN DROP OFF YOUR APPLICATION, OR YOU CAN HEAD TO OSCAR’S CUSTARD.COM, AND WE’LL HAVE THAT LINK TO THIS STORY IN THE 12 NEWS APP. >> CERTAINLY LOOKING F
Oscar’s Frozen Custard in Brookfield nears reopening after fire
Oscar’s Frozen Custard in Brookfield, Wisconsin, is set to reopen after a fire in 2024 destroyed the building, with the owner and community eagerly anticipating the comeback
Oscar’s Frozen Custard in Brookfield, Wisconsin, is preparing to reopen after a fire in November 2024 destroyed the building, leaving the community heartbroken.Fire crews battled the blaze for hours, and the roof collapsed, reducing the establishment to rubble. The location had been a staple in the town since 1992.Susie Taylor, the owner, is preparing for the comeback of Oscar’s Frozen Custard. “We can definitely see the finish line. There are big changes happening with the building every single day. Every time I walk in the door, I’m like, oh, gosh, what’s new now?” Taylor said.Despite the destruction, Taylor’s husband managed to salvage some old custard machines.”My husband was able to locate some and see very old custard machines that produce the very best custard, which we’re very excited about,” Taylor said.Taylor emphasized the opportunity to rebuild from scratch while maintaining the essence of Oscar’s. “While we’ve been in the custard business for 42 years, a restaurant business. So now we had the opportunity to start from scratch and to do things exactly how we wanted,” she said. “But we still wanted to incorporate parts of the other Oscar locations and this location to make it feel like home for everybody, the customers, our employees, and bring in the warm the arts and of course, the delicious custard.”Grant Brown, an employee who has been with Oscar’s for nearly 20 years, shared his experience during the fire. “I’ve been working at Austin since I was in high school, so I’ll be going on 20 years this year, actually,” Brown said. “Oh, we were devastated. We were actually sitting in the dining room next door at 1 a.m., watching a burned-out and just completely devastated, and, and you know, hoping that we could come back from it and, you know, zoom forward. And now we’re here.”Oscar’s Frozen Custard is set to reopen in April, in the meantime, if you would like apply for the position you can do so at oscarscustard.com Top HeadlinesFormer Ozaukee County coroner charged with criminal misconductAt Lambeau, McCarthy addresses Rodgers’ Steelers futureFlyers mailed in Germantown School Board race encourage votes for a man who isn’t runningWATCH Brewers fans face uncertainty with TV broadcasts and traffic for Opening Day
Oscar’s Frozen Custard in Brookfield, Wisconsin, is preparing to reopen after a fire in November 2024 destroyed the building, leaving the community heartbroken.
Fire crews battled the blaze for hours, and the roof collapsed, reducing the establishment to rubble. The location had been a staple in the town since 1992.
Susie Taylor, the owner, is preparing for the comeback of Oscar’s Frozen Custard.
“We can definitely see the finish line. There are big changes happening with the building every single day. Every time I walk in the door, I’m like, oh, gosh, what’s new now?” Taylor said.
Despite the destruction, Taylor’s husband managed to salvage some old custard machines.
“My husband was able to locate some and see very old custard machines that produce the very best custard, which we’re very excited about,” Taylor said.
Taylor emphasized the opportunity to rebuild from scratch while maintaining the essence of Oscar’s.
“While we’ve been in the custard business for 42 years, a restaurant business. So now we had the opportunity to start from scratch and to do things exactly how we wanted,” she said. “But we still wanted to incorporate parts of the other Oscar locations and this location to make it feel like home for everybody, the customers, our employees, and bring in the warm the arts and of course, the delicious custard.”
Grant Brown, an employee who has been with Oscar’s for nearly 20 years, shared his experience during the fire. “I’ve been working at Austin since I was in high school, so I’ll be going on 20 years this year, actually,” Brown said. “Oh, we were devastated. We were actually sitting in the dining room next door at 1 a.m., watching a burned-out and just completely devastated, and, and you know, hoping that we could come back from it and, you know, zoom forward. And now we’re here.”
Oscar’s Frozen Custard is set to reopen in April, in the meantime, if you would like apply for the position you can do so at oscarscustard.com
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