Modest efforts can put a dent in major problemsModest efforts can put a dent in major problems

Milwaukee’s Joe Sorge is one of the most effective yet easygoing restaurateurs I’ve met covering this industry, so at first it’s baffling that his latest idea has me thinking about something as unpopular as Congress and a movement as controversial as Occupy Wall Street.


In order to explain, let me first praise his newest promotion. Through the end of the year, Sorge is offering free lunch at his riverfront restaurant, Water Buffalo, to any businessperson in Milwaukee taking a job candidate out to eat during an interview. His reasoning: If, for the price of his food cost, he could facilitate a little more hiring in Milwaukee, eventually a few more local businesses and citizens would have more money to spend at Water Buffalo and Sorge’s ot...