Meet the Team
Theresa Nemetz
Founder & Chief Experience Officer
Hostess with the Mostess #1
‘Never Say Never’ Gal
Favorite MKE Bites: Sciortino’s Bakery for tutu cookies, Canfora for spumoni cookies – is there any question why the Christmas Around Bakery Bus is my favorite?
Favorite MKE Custard: Any historic stand for vanilla custard because why discriminate?
Favorite MKE Brew: I prefer a wine & truffle pairing from Indulgence Chocolatiers over a brew.
After a trip to New York and a chance encounter with a food tour, I returned to Milwaukee to create Milwaukee Food & City Tours in 2008. I was inspired to do so by my great-grandparents, Guiseppi and Rosa, who 100 years ago immigrated to Milwaukee from Santa Flavia, Sicily.
I am a Certified Tourism Ambassador (CTA), an alumna of Future Milwaukee, a 40 Under Forty by the Milwaukee Business Journal, and have served as a culinary speaker at a number of tourism-related conferences. We even won the Governor’s Rising Star in Tourism Award and were awarded the inaugural DearMKE award by VISIT Milwaukee. And then, 15 years in, the pandemic happened. We pivoted during the pandemic to not only survive but thrive and grow into an award winning, multi-million dollar family of companies with a worldwide reach. We launched a gift box operation that we now call Delicious Food Delivered to bring local businesses to doorsteps nationwide and helped so many small businesses in the process, and acquired Chicago Food Tours so that we can continue the tradition and operate one of the oldest food tours in the nation. We Travel Deliciously, and show off the Midwest through Great Lakes Shore Excursions. I continue to learn about tourism each and every day, and always try to have my finger on the pulse of what is happening in tourism on a global and national basis. My dream is to be the first tour operator to bring self-driving technology to tourism in the Midwest.
Wade Nemetz
Official Taste Tester
Keeper of the Green Chariots
Proud CDL Card Holder & Bus Driver
Favorite MKE Bites: Caradaro Club for Milwaukee-style thin-crust SMO pizza.
Favorite MKE Beer: Any hidden gem featured on our Craft Brewery & Cocktails tour.
It was during a food tour in New York City while sampling falafel that I told Theresa that a food tour would be a great way to show off Milwaukee’s neighborhoods too! She returned to Milwaukee, started researching neighborhood history and restaurants, and the rest as they say, is history. Not only does Milwaukee Food & City Tours show off Milwaukee’s neighborhoods, but focuses on showing off Milwaukee’s hidden gems on each of our tours. Seeking out the first pizzeria ever licensed in not only Milwaukee, but Wisconsin? Come on the Pizza Bus. Want to have the most authentic tamale in town? Join the Tacos & Tequila tour. Looking a classic Milwaukee tavern experience? Hop on the Pre-Prohibition Historic Bar Tour.
Enzo & Rose Nemetz
Directors of Work/Life Balance
Budding Foodies
Future Tour Guides
Milwaukee Food & City Tours is truly a family affair, with Enzo and Rose serving as our Directors of Work/Life Balance. We love exploring Milwaukee and seeing the city through the eyes of our children, exploring our amazing park system while relaxing at one of the many beer gardens, playing at great museums or along the spectacular lakefront, and taking classes at treasures such as the Milwaukee County Zoo and Schlitz Audubon. Our budding foodie, Enzo, is already a VPN pizza connoisseur like his daddy, and has yet to meet a mussel he hasn’t loved. Our Tour Guide in Training, Rose, already co-lead her first tour at a mere 6-weeks old with momma and received TripAdvisor 5-star reviews for being all things adorable. We anxiously awaited her first word, hopeful that perhaps it would be our favorite – “Milwaukee,” but it turned out to be our second favorite word, “pizza.”
Tour Guides
Storytellers. Educators. Leaders. Logistics Managers. Masters of Flexibility. Navigators. History Lovers. Public Speakers. These are the qualities of our award winning team of tour guides that will have you discovering the sights and savoring the flavors of Milwaukee’s most historic neighborhoods and delicious eateries!
Our team includes professional photographers who lead our Photo Walk from behind a camera lens; cooks and home brewers showcasing Milwaukee’s cuisine and craft industries, and educators and lovers of history showing off the sights of Milwaukee. We are proud of two pieces of commentary often provided by our attendees, “I’ve lived here my entire life and never explored Milwaukee like I did today,” and “I was expecting a tasting but this was a full meal!” Whether you are a Milwaukeean, visiting the city on your own or traveling as part of a group, you will not be disappointed.
Want to Work For Us?
Do you have a strong appreciation for Milwaukee? Do you have a high energy and confidence level and can lead tours in a witty and intelligent fashion? Do you have an ability to communicate and interact well with others? We’re always in search of excellent tour guides. If you answered YES to these questions and have a passion for food or photography, you may be the ideal candidate to join our team! To apply, please send a letter of interest and qualifications to hr@milwaukeefoodtours.com
Donation Requests
If you work or volunteer for an area non-profit, we invite you to request a gift card to be used as an auction item or raffle prize. Please email support@milwaukeefoodtours.com with the request on letterhead. Be sure that the request includes the tax-identification number of the non-profit in addition to the mailing address for where the gift card should be sent. Please note that phone calls are not encouraged – your organization will receive a response in your mailbox from us within 14 days of receipt of request.
