🪙 The end of pennies at Woodman’s

🍽️ Restaurant News Round-Up

• Mediterranean-Italian restaurant Oliva has new ownership that’s adding lunch hours and expanding the menu. The restaurant, which first opened in 2008, also has a new, more luxurious look.
• The restaurant group Madison Originals has disbanded after years of promoting and supporting local restaurants and encouraging Madisonians to eat locally. It included restaurants like Lombardino's Italian Restaurant, Quivey's Grove, and Longtable Beer Cafe. To be clear, the restaurants themselves are all still open.
• New to the Madison area, Qamaria Yemeni Coffee Co. hosted a soft opening over the weekend. Find it at 6730 Odana Rd. [🔒Wisconsin State Journal, Instagram]

🏛️ County Passes Budget, Faces Cuts in 2027

• Dane County officials approved the 2026 budget, but acknowledged that it sets 2027 up for a $30 million shortage.
• This year’s budgeting process proved to be a tough one for the county, with conflicts surrounding funding for the Dane County Sheriff’s Office and the Department of Human Services.
• Dig deeper: On the City Cast Madison podcast today, executive producer Hayley Sperling talks to Dane County supervisor Yogesh Chawla about what Madisonians need to know about the county budget and why the county’s work often goes unseen in the media. [WKOW, City Cast Madison 🎧]

🪙 Woodman’s Stops Taking Pennies

• The grocery stores now round transactions to the nearest nickel, so purchases ending in one, two, six, and seven cents are rounded down, while totals ending in three, four, eight, and nine cents are rounded up.
• The move comes amid the nationwide penny shortage and the end of penny production.
• In addition to the coin policy, starting Dec. 8, the self-checkout lanes will not accept any cash. [News 8, AP]

We’re trying something new! See if you can complete our Madison Minutes Crossword Puzzle, inspired by the people, places, and things (especially lakes) you should know about Madison!