Tommy Washbush
Photo of an industrial chic building with glass garage door.
The exterior of 1602 Gilson St.
“This is the beginning of a big adventure for us,” Adam Benedetto said to a group of about 15 community members at a Dec. 9 informational meeting where he and his wife, Sacha, outlined early plans for their new restaurant, Friends Applaud.
Friends Applaud will be located at 1602 Gilson St. in Madison’s Bay Creek neighborhood, tucked between South Park Street and John Nolen Drive. The space was formerly Black Rose Blending Co. and, before that, Funk Factory Geuzeria — specialty beer taprooms with bar-style layouts.
The space needs to be renovated to function as a restaurant; first, by installing a kitchen.
The couple will appear before Madison’s Alcohol License Review Committee on Dec. 17 for liquor license approval, and then begin discussions with the city’s fire and health departments to learn what kitchen appliances are allowed in the space. That decision will ultimately determine the menu, Adam said, noting that he has lots of ideas. “I like all types of great food, I’m very flexible with it,” he said.
Updates to the indoor and outdoor seating and decor are also in the works, and Adam plans to redesign and construct the space on his own. They hope to open in March 2026.
“Adam has amazing illustrations, from seating to what’s going on the walls, to colors and materials,” Sacha said.
Sacha, who is Swedish, wants to infuse Friends Applaud with mysigt, an adjective the Swedish use to describe feelings of coziness, warmth and relaxation.
“For me, it’s all about the environment and the feeling that it brings,” said Sacha. “That includes cozy furniture, colors and lighting; the warmth of the space, and the feeling of being at ease or at home. We are striving to make it as mysigt as possible.”
A woman gestured to the small indoor seating space and asked how many patrons they expect to seat.
“I have New York sensibilities about space,” Adam said. “I believe we can sit 40 in here comfortably.”
Though the menu is undetermined, the couple hinted at a few items they hope to share, including pão de queijo (Brazilian cheese bread), raclette (cheese that is melted in its wheel and paired with breads, vegetables and meats), Sabine salad (a weekly rotation of specialty salads, named after Sacha’s sister, Sabine), pudding and pasta. Adam envisions his homemade pasta being dried and displayed in the glass cooler near the entrance of the space.
Adam was a waiter and manager at Restaurant Magnus and ran for sheriff of Dane County in 2002. He moved from Madison in 2007, traveled a bit, and then moved to New York, where he met Sacha and managed the restaurant Jeffery’s Grocery. The couple relocated to Portland, Oregon, for a few years, but decided to move back to Madison during the pandemic. The day after they moved, Sacha said, Adam was online looking for restaurant spaces to rent.
Adam is also a poet and a world traveller and his experiences around the globe have influenced his culinary tastes. The name for the restaurant, Friends Applaud, draws inspiration from what is widely believed to have been Ludwig van Beethoven’s last words: “Applaud friends, the comedy is over.”
“We’re really excited to be in this part of the neighborhood, in this part of Madison,” said Adam. “We’re excited to be creating something new.”
