LEGO to lilies, photos to patriotic clothes, 4 businesses that are new to the south suburbs

Erik S. Hanley, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
·4 min read

What do LEGOs, cameras, plants and patriotic gear have in common?

They’re all now available in Milwaukee's south suburbs.

Here are four businesses that have opened in 2024:

Bricks and Minifigs – Franklin

Jessica VandeLeest, a Racine resident, opened a Bricks & Minifigs store at 2838 W. Rawson Ave. in Franklin on Jan. 27. The franchise focuses on buying, selling and trading LEGO.
Jessica VandeLeest, a Racine resident, opened a Bricks & Minifigs store at 2838 W. Rawson Ave. in Franklin on Jan. 27. The franchise focuses on buying, selling and trading LEGO.

Many have found a LEGO unexpectedly by stepping on it.

At Bricks & Minifigs, 2838 W. Rawson Ave. in Franklin, you can more proactively (and less painfully) find that piece or figure you’ve been looking for.

Minifigs is short for miniature figure ― those little LEGO people included in many sets. Some are common while others are hard to find.

Owner Jessica VandeLeest has a passion for LEGOs spurred on by her husband whom she started helping with his builds which stoked her interest. Eventually she decided to open Bricks & Minifigs, which is a franchise founded in Oregon.

LEGO fans looking to express their inner engineer can find everything from loose LEGOs to full sets.

Hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Saturday.

Frontline Defender – Oak Creek

Frontline Defender recently opened its third store ― and first standalone not in a mall ― at 2400 W. Ryan Road in Oak Creek. The store is called "a one-stop patriot shop" by co-owner Brian Eisel (right), who runs the business with his wife Germaine Eisel.
Frontline Defender recently opened its third store ― and first standalone not in a mall ― at 2400 W. Ryan Road in Oak Creek. The store is called "a one-stop patriot shop" by co-owner Brian Eisel (right), who runs the business with his wife Germaine Eisel.

“We’re a one-stop patriot shop.”

That’s how co-owner Brian Eisel described his business Frontline Defender which he runs with his wife, Germaine Eisel, at 2400 W. Ryan Road in Oak Creek.

Frontline Defender first opened in Southridge Mall, but that location recently closed.

With a goal to support first responders and veterans, the store offers everything from popular Grunt Style T-shirts to miniature die cast gun replicas from Goat Guns. Black Rifle Coffee Co. is available along with local businesses like Burn Pit BBQ from Caledonia and products from LiT Beard Co. from West Bend.

"We’re looking to have a good mix of local and national companies, but we’re focused on veteran-owned, first responder products,” Brian Eisel said.

Frontline Defender also has its own line of clothing and accessories, and they’re always open to shirt design submissions.

Whether you want a new baseball cap or body armor, you can find it at Frontline Defender.

The business is open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays.

Impulse – Oak Creek

Brothers Shane and Travis Garski opened a camera store and studio space called Impulse at 7965 S. Main St. in Oak Creek's Drexel Town Square.
Brothers Shane and Travis Garski opened a camera store and studio space called Impulse at 7965 S. Main St. in Oak Creek's Drexel Town Square.

Pose with your LEGO collection in your Grunt Style T-shirt and take a picture with a camera from this new photography and videography-focused business called Impulse in Oak Creek’s Drexel Town Square.

Brothers Shane and Travis Garski opened Impulse on April 20 and crowds filled their space at 7965 S. Main St.

Shane joked about the name, saying he is an “impulsive buyer” while Travis said the store can be “very impulsive.”

The brothers hope to help customers in getting gear that best suits them. Everything from cameras to tripods, microphones, drones, bags and more are available for purchase. Impulse also has partnerships with companies like Sony, Fujifilm, Tamron, DJI and others.

Not just a retail store, Impulse offers equipment rentals and a small studio space in the back that can be utilized for photo shoots.

The store's hours are 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. The Garskis said customers can also email them if they need something outside of those hours.

Custom Grown Greenhouses – St. Francis

Custom Grown Greenhouses opened at its new location next to the Layton Fruit Market, 1838 East Layton Avenue in St. Francis on May 1, 2024.
Custom Grown Greenhouses opened at its new location next to the Layton Fruit Market, 1838 East Layton Avenue in St. Francis on May 1, 2024.

Pick up some pretty flowers to make the outside of your home more photogenic to put that new camera to use.

Custom Grown Greenhouses closed its Milwaukee garden center last year and owner Paul Budzisz thought he might retire. He opened his first garden-based business in 1988.

That was until the owners of the Layton Fruit Market, 1838 E. Layton Ave., which had carried some of Budzisz’s plants in the past, offered some space for a new greenhouse.

Last winter construction began on a concrete pad and a single greenhouse which opened May 1 and is the sole home for Custom Grown Greenhouses. While the offerings are more limited than in the past, the passion is still just as strong for Budzisz and his employees.

Budzisz said customers “seem to be fairly pleased” with the offerings ― especially the hanging baskets.

The greenhouse is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.

Contact Erik S. Hanley at erik.hanley@jrn.com. Like his Facebook page, The Redheadliner, and follow him on X @Redheadliner.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: These four businesses are new to Milwaukee's south suburbs this year