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NEW
RESTAURANTS AND NIGHTCLUBS
OPENING AT A RECORD PACE IN THE FOX CITIES
by
Bob Lowe
(July 25, 2003)
The
number of new and remodeled restaurants and bars in the Fox
Cities continue to expand at a record pace.
The
former Old
County Buffet, 4531 W. Wisconsin Ave., Grand Chute, which
has been closed for a $600,000 remodeling and renaming, will
reopen as the HomeTown Buffet on Aug. 20. The number of dishes
at the 324_seat restaurant will increase 30_40 percent at
slightly higher prices. The name change is designed to "keep
up with the times and offer more food items," according
to Jill Granger, general manager, who said the term "old"
had a negative connotation. Granger said the company’s
other restaurants will undergo the same upgrade and renaming.
Bela
Bakery & Café, W3192 Calumet St., Buchanan, recently
held its grand opening in the new plaza east of the Kohl’s
Department Store that also house Big
Apple Bagels. Bela features sandwiches, breads and pastries.
It is owned by Lanie Demars, 23, her sister, Jessie Berquist,
26, and Lanie’s husband, Kyle Demars, 25.
Senor
Tequila, a Mexican eatery, will be opening in October in the
same spot that formerly housed Big Belly’s Pit and Pourhouse,
531 W. College Ave.
The
former Hardee’s restaurant and Fox Cities Shoppe, at
Oneida and Calumet streets in Appleton, will be converted
to the Big Shanghai Chinese Buffet. After operating for several
years as Hardee’s, the property then became Albert’s
Grill, which closed in January. The new location of the Fox
Cities Shoppe has not yet been announced. The Appleton Common
Council has approved spending up to $475,000 to facilitate
the development of a new restaurant planned for the former
Vulcan Hydro Plant in the Industrial Flats.
The
Oshkosh_based Supple Restaurant group plans to open a 152_seat
"J Restaurant" by late November, to be named after
the group’s chief executive officer, Jay Supple.
Supple
Restaurant Group also owns the Fox
River Brewing Co. at the Fox River Mall in Grand Chute
and Fratello’s
Italian Restaurant and Brewery in Oshkosh. The city’s
funds will be used for site preparation for and parking on
the former 94_year_old electric generating plant.
Supple
said the group will spend about $1 million to renovate the
property. The restaurant will generate more than $24,000 in
tax revenues. Jim Busch, owner of the Deja Vu Martini Bar
in downtown Appleton, will be opening a similar establishment
in downtown Neenah called the St. James Martini Bar by the
Christmas holidays.
Busch
acquired the Littlefield Law Office, 211 E. Wisconsin Ave.,
and plans to spend up to $350,000 to convert it into an upscale
martini bar, which will accommodate 100_125 patrons and will
be open Monday_Saturday starting at 5 p.m.
Bob
Buckingham, Neenah’s director of community development,
said the St. James will become yet another attraction for
patrons of the nearby Park Plaza Valley Inn and the planned
Neenah Riverwalk, a $3.2 million plan to revitalize Shattuck
Park its waterfront.
Also
under development is Tom’s Garage, a new nightclub that
will occupy the former Meiers_Rudolf Lincoln Mercury dealership
at Superior and Franklin streets in downtown Appleton. The
new music venue will feature bands that specialize in American
roots music – bluegrass, rockabilly, traditional and
alternative country, jazz, blues, gospel and rock, according
to owner Tom Hintz, who heads a group of investors spending
$150,000 to convert the 4,800 square foot yellow brick building.
In recent years, the building was used by The Post-Crescent
for storage, training and circulation functions. Hintz, a
former high school and technical college counselor and instructor,
said the club should open on Nov. 30. He plans on having live
music at least twice a week, as well as a weekly 80s night,
complete with videos projected on a large screen.
***
Lemon
Grass Thai Cuisine opened at 4390 Chenille Drive in Grand
Chute, next to Citrus Grove and Dick's Sporting Goods store.
The ethnic eatery is owned by Thananant "June" Kulthol,
a first-time
restaurateur and Thailand native.
Los
Compadres, which opened in Menasha some years ago with its
offering of authentic Mexican meals, opened its second branch
in early June at 3825 E. Calumet St. in the Horizon Plaza
east of the Wal_Mart store. Uncle Ned's Deli has moved into
the spot formerly occupied by Auntie Em's Traditions, a gift
shop in the Marketplace complex on Wisconsin Avenue in downtown
Neenah. The restaurant; is famous for its piled_high sandwiches,
which are popular in New York, as well as soups, salads and
ice cream. Peter Kuenzi, owner of Zuppas restaurant in downtown
Neenah, has closed the eatery at 124 W. Wisconsin Ave., but
has opened another 4,000 square foot Zuppas near the Copps
grocery store southeast of Neenah.
The
new 160_seat diner and catering business will have an expanded
market for take out meals and a more casual feel than the
old upscale bistro Country Kitchen has reappeared at the site
of the former Ronn's Family Restaurant at 3626 W. College
Ave., Grand Chute. Before becoming Ronn's, the restaurant
was part of the Country Kitchen chain. Going back to its roots
will give it more name recognition and increased patronage,
said owner Lyle Huss, a Little Chute native who announced
that the restaurant will open 24 hours a day.
Arendal
Inc., has purchased the former Bankroll Restaurant building,
175 Main St., Menasha for $180,000 with the hopes of attracting
a "high_end restaurateur" to complement the $6 million
residential development taking place on the waterfront. The
Bankroll, which opened in 1990, was closed by bankruptcy in
1993 and eventually sold. It reopened as Das Schnitzel Haus,
a German restaurant that closed at the end of 1999 after 10
months in business.
Ravens,
an urban bar at 215 E. College Ave., Appleton, is expanding
by 1,200 square feet and doubling its capacity from 85 to
170 patrons. The remodeling will add an outdoor patio. The
work should be completed early in August, according to owners
Jeff Lang, an Appleton dentist and Clint Genett.
The
former Henri’s Music Store, 511 W. College Ave., will
be converted into a Japanese sushi restaurant called KatsuYa.
It will be operated by Hiro Nakashima, who owns a sushi/hibachi
restaurant at 4100 W. Pine St. in Grand Chute. The restaurant
is set to open in August. Katsu Ya will contain the same type
of sushi bar and hibachi tables as Nakashima, where chefs
slice, dice and cook food right in front of the customers.
It also will have Japanese yakiniku tables, where customers
can grill their own food.
Meanwhile,
next door, Chris Victoria, owner of the popular Victoria’s
Italian Cuisine restaurant at 503 W. College Ave., announced
a major $1.2 million expansion that will give the restaurant
a 400_person capacity banquet room. It will be built on the
second story and can be divided for smaller groups.
The
first_floor restaurant will not be disrupted during the construction,
which will take place as soon as state and local permits are
approved. Victoria said the expansion will increase business
by 30%. Two blocks to the east, the Radisson Paper Valley
Hotel has opened Joe A La Mode, a new coffee shop/ice cream
parlor that will serve Starbucks Coffee and Ben & Jerry’s
ice cream. It is located in the former Oscar’s gift
shop and seats a dozen or more customers. Texas Roadhouse,
3910 W. College Ave., recently opened on the site that formerly
hosted Annie’s American Café and a Marc’s
Big Boy. The restaurant employs 160 full_ and part_time employees
and specializes in steaks, ribs and country dinners. It is
part of a 144_unit chain, based in Louisville, Ky.
***
The
Appleton Art Center’s Art in the Park will be held at
Appleton’s City Park and the Lawrence University grounds
from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday July 27. More than 220 artists’
work from the Midwest will be featured. The Lawrence portion
of the event, called "Art Off The Park," will be
a non_juried art sale, which also will include arts and crafts
and jewelry items.
Musical
entertainment will be provided by the Geriatric Jazz Band
(8:45 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.), Druid’s Table (9:30 a.m.),
John Pfeiffer (11:30 a.m.), Crystal River Trio (12:30 p.m.),
Dan and Mel Flannery (1:30 p.m.), Brenda Theabo and Kevin
Wells (2:45 p.m.), Gary Koepke (4 p.m.) and Ecuadormanta (all
day). The event is free.
***
The
Weidner Center
has announced a schedule change. "Flower Drum Song,"
which had been scheduled for Oct. 21_26, has been canceled
and will be replaced by "Fame, The Musical," which
features a 24_member ensemble searching for fame while attending
New York’s High School for the Performing Arts. Tickets
range from $27_$63.
***
If
you are thinking of going down to the Wisconsin State Fair
in West Allis July 31_Aug. 10, here is a lineup of some of
the headliner who will be performing on the Miller Time Main
Stage, which seats more than 7,000: Country singer Clay Walker,
who recently released a single, "A Few Questions,"
from his upcoming album to be released Sept. 9, is scheduled
for July 31; the new wave party band, B_52's (Aug. 1); the
grunge band, Everclear, (Aug. 2); the ABBA tribute band, Bjorn
Again, (Aug. 3); the
Latin pop singer Jaci Velasquez (Aug. 4); country crooner
Brad Paisley, who released his third album, "Mud on the
Tires," this week (Aug. 5); David Cassidy, the matinee
idol who sent female hearts aflutter as a member of the TV
series, the Partridge Family, gets to do it all over again
(Aug. 6); the country and souther rock groups, Kentucky Headhunters
and the Charlie Daniels Band (Aug. 7); soul singers Peabo
Bryson and The Spinners (Aug. 8); "American Idol"
winner Kelly Clarkson (Aug. 9) and country singer Jo Dee Messina
(Aug. 10). For more information, log onto wistatefair.com.
***
Among
the entertainers scheduled to perform at the Fox
Cities Performing Arts Center in the coming months are
the Goo Goo Dolls on Aug. 19, redneck comedian Jeff Foxworthy,
who will perform two shows on Aug. 22, Collin Raye, who will
be appearing on Sept. 5 and Lorrie Morgan, who is booked for
Dec. 21.
***
Toward
Community: Unity in Diversity, will sponsor the 10th Annual
Celebrate Diversity Picnic from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday July
26 at Erb Park in Appleton. Lunch with potluck dishes to pass,
will be from noon to 2 p.m. Soccorro Rivera, who sings traditional
Mexican songs, will perform at 1:15 p.m. and a group photo
will be taken at 1:40 p.m. The event is free and open to the
public.
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