Steve Cahalan: Owners of Red Pines Bar & Grill open Red Pines Cafe next door (2024)

Steve CahalanFor the La Crosse Tribune

Corinna and Mike Todd, who have owned the Red Pines Bar & Grill on Brice Prairie since 2015, opened the Red Pines Cafe next door on April 30.

The new cafe is at W7301 County Road Z, along Lake Onalaska in the town of Onalaska. It’s in the lower level of an Airbnb that the Todds have operated for five years. DBS Group, an Onalaska design and build company, demolished three studio apartment units to create the cafe. The building still has six Airbnb units.

The new cafe opens earlier than Red Pines Bar & Grill and is open seven days a week. Red Pines Bar & Grill opens at 11 a.m. Wednesday through Sunday and is closed on Monday and Tuesday.

The cafe’s hours have been 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday. But hours could change once The Pine Cone – the Todds’ outdoor bar, on the other side of Red Pines Bar & Grill, opens this summer with two new features – a deck and a bar where people can sit. The cafe will be closed on Memorial Day and on most national holidays.

“This (the cafe) is really a complement to Red Pines Bar & Grill,” Corinna Todd said. “Over the years, we’ve had a lot of people ask us to have breakfast.”

The cafe has indoor and outdoor dining and a menu with such things as omelets, eggs bacon and toast, avocado toast, toasted Croque Madame sandwiches, soup, gourmet flatbreads, sandwich paninis, gelato sundaes and Paula’s Assorted Fresh Pastries such as pie, scones, mini dessert loves, muffins and cheesecake slices. The Paula’s items are baked at the restaurant by Paula Przywojski, who retired after 35 years as a registered dietician

“The sandwiches are delicious and unique with a European touch,” Todd said. The cafe has a variety of coffee and espresso drinks and other beverages, such as tea, hot chocolate, soda pop and juice. And it sells beer, wine and merchandise such as Red Pines apparel and mugs.

“We would like to credit our son, Connor, who runs our kitchens and creates unique menu options with his team,” Todd said. For more information, call the cafe at 608-433-2537 or visit www.redpinesbarandgrill.com/LODGING.html or the cafe’s Facebook page.

Marcie Culver plans to start construction in about a month on a new Marcie’s Pet Spa at 1951 Church Road W. in West Salem that will be twice as large as her current West Salem spa at 1515 Heritage Blvd. The business is expected to open around March 2025 in its new location.

The spa has been in its current leased building since 2014. Culver’s West Salem spa began in 2009 at 114 S. Leonard St., and Culver has since added locations in Sparta and Ripon, Wis.

Culver told me she will own the new building, which will go up behind Prince of Peace Lutheran Church and will be near Veterans Memorial Park. She said her business has outgrown its current location and now has 25 to 30 employees. “We’ll add maybe another 10” employees by moving the business to the new, much larger location, she said.

Marcie’s Pet Spa offers boarding, daycare and grooming for dogs, as well as grooming and boarding for cats. It also sells dog and cat food, treats and toys, as well as novelty items for dog and cat lovers.

Culver also noted that her pet spas were among several listed as “Best pet groomers in Wisconsin” in a story this spring on The Daily Groomer online publication for people and businesses in the pet grooming industry.

Amy Kaitner opened her new Jay’s Diner family restaurant on May 14 in the former Bobby John’s bar and grill at 913 Front St. in downtown Cashton. Bobby John’s had closed in February.

Kaitner, a Minnesota native who moved to Cashton more than 20 years ago, had worked at a number of area bars and restaurants, including 17 years at Badger Crossing Pub & Eatery in Cashton. She left her job at Peck’s Corner near Cashton to start Jay’s Diner, after hearing people say they wished someone would reopen Bobby John’s or start a new business there. She chose the “Jay’s” name because the first names of her children start with the letter “J.”

Sons Jason and Jeremiah cook at the diner, daughter Jayden helps on weekends and son Jacob does woodworking and made wooden flower vases that are part of the restaurant’s decor.

“We have great burgers,” Kaitner said, adding that the restaurant’s fresh meats come from Von Ruden Meats. Some other popular menu items include breakfast sandwiches, the Sunrise Burrito and stuffed hash browns, she said. The restaurant’s menu also includes several other kinds of sandwiches, wraps, scrambles, salads, side dishes and appetizers.

Hours are 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, 7 to 11 a.m. Sunday and closed Monday. For more information, call 608-654-8711 or visit www.jaysdinerllc.com or Facebook.

Teofanes Morales Hernandez opened the Dessert Shop on May 4 at 530 S. Black River St. in Sparta. The new business is next to the Supermercado Oaxaca Mexican Market.

The Dessert Shop carries a large variety of Mexican-style La Michoacana ice cream bars and other frozen treats. And it carries 12 flavors of La Michoacana ice cream that can be served in cones, dishes and milk shakes. It also sells cookies, chips and other snack foods, as well as soda pop and other beverages.

The Dessert Shop is open seven days a week. For hours and additional information, visit the shop’s Facebook page.

A grand opening open house with ribbon cutting was held Thursday at The Venue event center at 211 N. Black River St., in Jones Plaza in Sparta. It was the first event held there.

The new performance and event venue is owned by Joshua Schams, who also owns the Club Oasis Supper Club.

“I am looking to host corporate business meetings, luncheons, smaller weddings, wedding receptions, military unit parties, retirement parties, trade show events and basically any type of event that is looking for a higher-end space,” he said. “We also will be holding celebration-of-life-type events for funerals. We can hold 80 to 120 people comfortably. We also have a full liquor license. Catering can be done by Club Oasis when available, or we are prepared for outside catering to be brought in.”

Schams said The Venue also will hold some of its own events, although those will not begin until this fall. “We’re looking at dueling pianos, murder mystery dinners, comedy shows and things of that variety,” he said.

“I had an opportunity with the space and felt there was a need for such a type of event center,” Schams said of his decision to start the new business. He also said, “I’ve always enjoyed doing the bigger events and was restricted on space and timing with the restaurant.”

For more information, call 608-696-5279 or visit The Venue’s Facebook page.

Minneapolis-based bottled water company Premium Waters Inc. purchased Ripp Distributing Co. as of May 1 and has taken over the supplying of 5-gallon water, coolers and case water deliveries to area customers from Ripp’s Black River Falls and West Salem facilities with the same team of employees.

Paul and Theresa Ripp retired from the bottled water business with the sale, Premium Waters told me this week. Premium Waters also said it will continue to deliver the same brands and products that Ripp customers have come to know. For more information, visit https://premiumwaters.com.