Help us bring music to downtown Waupaca, WI!

Hello everyone,

My name is Jenn Milner, and my husband Marty and I have just been given the opportunity to fulfill a dream we've had for a long time: opening a record store.

Our Story

We are both music lovers and since 2018, Marty has been following that passion by collecting vinyl. And it's not a collection that sits and collects dust - our house is filled nightly with music of every genre, old and new, popular and niche.

When he graduated from a couple of crates to an eight-foot shelf it was a collection. When the collection tipped past 1,400 records, I knew it was something more.

On every trip we hit up record stores, and strike up conversations with the shop owners who see a kindred spirit in Marty. And every time we pass a vacant building in Waupaca, he smiles at me and says, "That would make a good record store."

Well one of those buildings opened up at a ridiculously reasonable rate and we decided to take a chance. We got the LLC, we started sourcing inventory, and then we found out our building was no longer ours. Because of state code, the building couldn't be used as a permanent retail space. 

But everything happens for a reason. 

And after two weeks of worry and frantically searching for a new space, we found one. It's awesome. The owners are awesome. And while a little more expensive, it's reasonable enough for us to continue working toward our goal. 

We've got at least six weeks before we can get in, but we have PLENTY to do in the meantime. Cataloging our inventory, creating a website, building record bins, and getting our business details in order. We are so excited to go on this adventure and dive into the central WI music community. 

Community Benefit

In the last year, many of the physical music stores in Wisconsin have shut down, mostly due to the owners passing away and nobody being able to take up the torch. Wisconsin has a thriving music community and we want to help support it and become a part of it.

That's why we want to open a record store in Waupaca, to bring back the excitement of digging through vinyl and discovering new artists. To bring a new kind of shop to our beautiful downtown. We want to create a space where people can come together, share their love for music and connect with each other.

How You Can Help

Opening a business is not easy, and doesn't come cheap. That's why we are asking for your help to make our dream a reality. Your donations will go towards renting the storefront, purchasing inventory, advertising, and furnishing the space to make it functional and inviting.

Our initial goal is $15,000. Here's how it will break down.

We are going to start small and do what we can to be a destination in Central Wisconsin for cool music and good vibes.

With your help, we can bring music back to our small town and create a community around it. Any amount, big or small, will make a difference and we are grateful for your support. Thank you for taking the time to read our story and for considering donating to our small business.

With hope and gratitude,

Jenn and Marty Milner