About Ember social

Amy & Nick Fallucca purchased the building in 2023 and renovated it to create Ember Social, an event and coworking space. The name is an homage to the building’s origin as a blacksmith shop.

Nick is a third-generation Grafton resident, so the Fallucca family moved back here from Milwaukee in late 2019. It was a difficult transition because they greatly missed the amazing restaurants, entertainment, and experiences that Milwaukee has to offer. Ember Social was born from a desire to make connections in the community and create more fun, unique experiences in Grafton.

Ember Social opened in October 2024. Amy & Nick are grateful for the opportunity to activate this space in a way that benefits the community, and they love making amazing memories with you.

Our mission is to enrich our community by creating meaningful connections and unforgettable experiences.

Our niche is to be a versatile, experience-driven space that blends historic charm with modern energy and approachable luxury. We provide our customers with excellent service to create memorable, highly curated events.

Core Values

  • Honesty, Transparency & Integrity
    We treat everyone with respect, practice radical candor, and care about having a positive impact.

  • Collaboration & Approachability
    We share ideas; we seek and provide feedback; we have fun, we don’t take ourselves too seriously, and our customers love us.

  • Agility & Creativity
    We value creativity and continuous improvement; we listen to our customers, experiment, and embrace change.

  • Community
    We are engaged in the community; we have a positive impact on our customers and our community.

  • Focus on Results
    We make data-driven, logical decisions, work efficiently to get the job done, and evaluate our success based on measurable outcomes.

  • GSD
    We encourage individual initiative and doing what it takes to get the job done in a consistent, quality way.

our mission

History of the building

The Heinz 57 building, as most know it, is one of the oldest buildings in the Village of Grafton. It was constructed in 1868 as a blacksmith shop. In the early 1900s, it housed Tillman Bros. Garage, which sold and repaired Brisco touring cars — a new alternative to the horse and carriage.

It later became Grafton Truck Line, a truck and heavy equipment repair shop run by the Thomas family.

In 1963, the Reick family purchased the building and operated Heinz 57 Auto Shop. They later sold the property to Merle Wuenne when Heinz was drafted to fight in the Vietnam War. Merle ran Merle Wuenne Plumbing in the building until the property was sold back to the Reicks when Heinz returned from the war and resumed operations of the auto shop.

In November 2020, the building suffered a devastating fire and sat vacant until Ember Social opened in 2024.

Timeline

  • 1868 — H. Kohlwey Blacksmith Shop

  • Early 1900s — Tillman Bros. Garage

  • 1950s? — Grafton Truck Line, Thomas family

  • 1963 — Heinz 57 Auto Shop, Reick family

  • Later — Merle Wuenne Plumbing

  • November 2020 — Fire destroys the roof and interior of the building

  • 2023 — Building purchased by the Fallucca family; renovations begin

  • October 24, 2024 — Grand opening of Ember Social

Links & Articles

If you have additional information, photos, or videos of 1327 / 1329 Wisconsin Avenue or 1102 Beech Street, please send them to hello@ember-social.com - thank you!!!

Community engagement

Giving back, collaborating, and engaging with our community are at the heart of who we are at Ember Social.

Non-Profits & Community Organizations:

  • We proudly support local nonprofits and community organizations by offering free meeting space, discounted rates for fundraisers and events, and opportunities to host Giveback Events.

  • We do our very best to accommodate requests, but please note that donations are limited to one per organization per year. Please use this link to submit our donation request form.

Caterers, service providers, & VENDORS:

  • We love partnering with local businesses, makers, and entrepreneurs. If you’d like to be considered for our vendor list—for pop-up markets, holiday events, or to offer services to our clients, please submit a vendor application.

Entertainment, Bands, & performers: