Where in Milwaukee can one eat a peanut-butter and banana (“Elvis”) sandwich, buy a Catholic art Jesus candle, play an old school Atari video game, and possibly meet one’s future spouse?

At Koppa’s Farwell Foods, which has all this and everything else one would find at a grocery store.

The comedic atmosphere of Koppa’s, 1940 N. Farwell Ave., is courtesy of the employees and the Polish-American family that has owned the store since the 1970s. Vern Koppa bought it from his brother in 1982, and it is now owned by his youngest son, Ken Koppa, and Ken’s friend, Peter Schmidt. The store continues to be a quirky hit.

One thing definitely worth coming to Koppa’s for is the Fulbeli Deli. The sandwich offerings, including sandwiches named “Mars” and “Pluto,” contain a heavenly mix of ingredients. Many have specialty meats, cheeses from provolone to pepper jack, and vegetables.

Regular daily specials are also a draw. The Sunday special is six free hard rolls with a pound of baked ham.

One of six appetizing vegetarian deli sandwich picks is the “Williclub.” It is served on a soft, oversized toasted bagel, stuffed with an entire layer of carrots and cucumbers, three tomato slices and three green pepper slices, sprouts and red onions. Cream cheese adds a contrast to the bagel’s softness and veggie crunch.

Waiting for a sandwich or lingering around the deli is enjoyable with all of the amusements. A reading area opposite of the deli counter has two vintage chairs, wall bookshelves and a deer head festively decorated with a green Mardi Gras necklace. Some reading selections are ancient hardcover books that look like they came from a 1930s library, and some newer paperbacks.

Schmidt said that people do read the books and they also bring in their own to add to the less-than-logical selection.

Another display in the wacky museum of all things Koppa is a place to sit on orange and olive chairs with matching wallpaper. Here, visitors can play Atari, currently loaded with “Haunted Hause,” which blinks on the screen above. Koppa lovers are known to visit the gaming center over lunch breaks.

Whether people enjoy each other’s company at Koppa’s during a Sunday live music performance or over a game of Atari, they may encounter Koppa’s match-making mystery. Ken Koppa said five employees met their spouses here, and a similar number of customers met their significant others here as well.

After college, Ken married a woman he had worked with at the store.

“We weren’t that close while I was in school,” he said. “After I finished school we hung out more and then we decided to get married after going out.”

After attributing the reason people fall love at Koppa’s to possible magnetic fields or aliens, he said, “no one really knows.”

Sarah Kordus, 26, the deli manager, has witnessed some of the romances develop since she started working here over five years ago, and calls it a “weird phenomenon.”

One thing that is easily identifiable about Koppa’s is that it has everything one needs and more. Many items have the regular name brand with a natural food counterpart. For example, there are milk and eggs by Organic Valley from LaFarge, Wis. The produce and frozen food sections also offer organic choices.

A healthy drink offered at Koppa’s that should not be missed is Naked Food-Juice, which offers a pound of fruit in each serving. They also have half gallons of Naked.

Another element that sets Koppa’s apart from other grocery stores is its selection of gourmet items, including cheese and sausage that is hand-made on-site. The store also has an excellent wine and beer selection. Ken Koppa said that “you can buy a good bottle of wine for 10 bucks.”

Seeking out grocery items at Koppa’s is interesting in itself since the signs do not just identify sections and food items; instead, they offer a pinch of creativity. Fun produce labels include one for broccoli that reads: “better than drugs.” A beer cooler sign gives a clever warning to those underage: “No ID, no beer. We card everyone, including your grandma.”

Koppa’s may not have the grandiosity of a mega-food store, but shopping there goes beyond an errand and becomes an enjoyment of the day.

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