6 immigrant-owned Wisconsin businesses to support in 2026
Immigrant-owned businesses support the local economy and provide an opportunity to learn about new cultures. Here are six in Wisconsin to check out in 2026.
Immigrants have always played a crucial role in this country’s prosperity, and that’s abundantly obvious when looking at the different ways immigrant-owned businesses have contributed to the vitality of Wisconsin’s economy. Whether it’s by selling books, ice cream, specialty goods, or home-cooked meals, these businesses have fostered a sense of genuine community while also giving people the opportunity to learn about different cultures. The idea of this is what America was always supposed to be about: opportunity, growth, and connection. While it’s not as common nowadays as it should be, that important equation is still alive and thriving in many areas of the state.
The Cap Times highlighted five immigrant-owned businesses in Madison that were striving to persevere in the face of an increasingly hostile environment in the US. As Mayra Medrano, the president of the Latino Chamber of Commerce of Dane County, told the publication, “I think it’s time for people to look at immigrants as producers and makers versus just consumers.” To aid in that effort, we’ve written up a list of six immigrant-owned businesses in Wisconsin for you to support in 2026. These producers and makers are positively contributing to our shared society and always have been—it’s time for that to become the accurate narrative instead of the false one we’ve been fed more recently, and for us to use the new year as an opportunity to try something new.
1. La Michoacana Premium (Ice Cream) – Various locations
Ice cream is usually considered a summer treat, but it’s actually a dessert that can, and should, be enjoyed year-round—especially when you have access to La Michoacana Premium’s high-quality products. A variety of items are available for purchase at its Kenosha and Milwaukee locations, including popsicles, drinks, yogurt, and sweets, along with a vast array of ice cream flavors and toppings.
To check out the full menu, click here.
2. Makélélésho African Shop – Green Bay
Located at 521 E Walnut St., the Makélélésho African Shop is co-owned by Nyota Epapi. Epapi is from Congo and grew up in Tanzania. She’s been living in the US since 2016, and when she made the move to Green Bay in 2023, she knew she wanted to create a store dedicated to selling African products to her fellow residents. Speaking with the Green Bay Press-Gazette, Epapi said, “We opened this store because in this city, there are a lot of people that drive far away to find traditional foods.”
The store sells everything from yuca root, plantains, and palm oil to specialty beauty products. “We have products from different parts of Africa, like Ghana, Nigeria, but also Jamaica and China,” Epapi told the news outlet. The store is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
3. Asian Taste Supermarket – Green Bay
Asian Taste Supermarket (722 Bodart St., Green Bay) has been praised on Yelp for being a reliable source for hot meals and traditional grocery store items. One customer, Joe C., wrote in his review: “Awesome grocery items, I can get my Chinese tea here, and the egg-rolls are DELICIOUS! Also, if you have an appetite, get a pound of the pork belly and a small sticky rice, you won’t be disappointed.”
Another customer said Asian Taste has “the best Pho,” and others positively reviewed its reasonable prices and variety of choices, both in terms of the freshly prepared foods and its groceries. You can get milk tea, chopsticks, Thai curry ingredients, and more while also enjoying a hearty bowl of Pho or some fried fish and rice.
Asian Taste is closed on Wednesdays, but they’re open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.
4. La Revo Books – Satellite locations in WI
Though La Revo Books isn’t immigrant-owned specifically, it is owned by Barbara and Valeria Cerda, who “come from a working-class and immigrant background.” The sisters created La Revo Books—which you can shop at online or at one of these satellite locations in Wisconsin—to highlight BIPOC and Latinx voices.
On the La Revo website, the Cerda sisters wrote, “Our selection is affordable, relevant and a reflejo of nuestra comunidad. We intentionally and carefully select new and used books for and by Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC), with a specialization in Latinx literature. Just as our community is multilingual, so is our selection — we provide libros en Español, Spanglish, Bilingual and other languages.”
In addition to selling books, La Revo also sells homemade gifts crafted by local BIPOC creators, which further benefits Wisconsin’s communities. To do some online shopping, click here.
5. Oriental Shop – Madison
Madison’s Oriental Shop (1029 South Park St.) has been a neighborhood staple since 1979. The store is owned and operated by Tamaki, a Japanese native who moved to Wisconsin in the 1970s, and her husband Kuang, who immigrated from Taiwan around the same time. The store is, in Kuang’s words, “like a galaxy, and everything on the shelves is a star in the night sky.” Those stars are carefully curated by the couple, who stock products like sushi-grade fish, import-only snacks, handmade plates, and more.
For Tamaki, running Oriental Shop for the last 40 years is about more than simply supplying Japanese items—it’s about creating a sense of community. Speaking with The Daily Cardinal in April 2025, she said, “It’s not just for Japanese [people] but for everyone who’s gone to Japan, who likes Japanese food. It’s nice to have that community and food in Madison.”
Oriental Shop is closed on Tuesdays, but is open from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, and from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays.
6. Estacion Inka – Madison
Located at 616 University Avenue in Madison, Estacion Inka serves affordable Peruvian food. Co-owned by four siblings, the restaurant opened in 2019 and was inspired by traditional home-cooked meals the family enjoyed growing up in Peru and America. Sophia Pezua, one of the siblings who operates Estacion Inka, told The Daily Cardinal in April 2025 that they wanted to “create a space where people can just come in and feel like they’re part of the extended family.”
That family atmosphere is one of the main reasons why visitors enjoy spending time at the restaurant. Menu items include Polla a la Brasa, Lomo Saltado, Arroz con Cerdo, and Tres Leches. Estacion is open Monday through Saturday from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m., and on Sundays from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m.
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