Top 14 applebee’s grill and bar eau claire menu

STEVENS POINT – From closures and expansions to restaurants and industry, 2019 was a busy year for business news.

Shopko closed the last of its retail stores. A local book printer announced plans for a $10 million expansion. Pixelle Specialty Solutions shared plans to purchase the Verso paper mill in Stevens Point. And two new Mexican restaurants opened as another builds a new home.

We sorted through all of our Streetwise news for the year, and here’s a look at some of the biggest business stories of 2019.

Applebee’s Grill & Bar closes unexpectedly in Stevens Point.

Applebee’s Grill & Bar, at 5609 U.S. 10 E., closed in September with little warning.

A sign on the restaurant told guests the restaurant had closed and thanked its customers for allowing it to serve Stevens Point for the past 22 years.

Multiple employees told a Stevens Point Journal reporter they had a mandatory meeting on Sept. 28, and once they got there, they learned it would be the last day of business.

An Applebee’s spokeswoman said closures are part of the normal course of business in the industry and can happen for many reasons. She said all employees were offered positions at neighboring locations.

RELATED: Applebee’s Grill & Bar closes in Stevens Point; employees learned of closure Saturday

Meijer moves forward with plans for Stevens Point store.

Meijer moved forward with its plans this year for a Stevens Point store on the northeast corner of Portage County R and HH, near Crossroads Commons.

The company purchased land for the proposed store in 2017, and this year started applying for permits and signs. The store is expected to open in 2021.

Meijer offers a selection of groceries, electronics, sporting goods, household essentials, home improvement items, beauty and personalized care products, pet care, school and office supplies, clothing, jewelry, and garden and outdoor products.

Meijer owns about 28 acres in Stevens Point, which is more than they plan to use. The company will eventually sell parcels for future developments.

RELATED: Meijer in planning stages of opening a location in Stevens Point

Taco John’s will return to Stevens Point.

Construction started in September on a new Taco John’s restaurant in Stevens Point.

The restaurant, at 1616 Academy Ave., will be one of the first the company builds with its new prototype design. The initial renderings for the drive-thru restaurant feature an outdoor patio, landscaping that includes light and noise reduction, and bicycle parking.

Brett Itterman owns the Taco John’s in Wisconsin Rapids, and he said he’s excited to bring the restaurant chain back to Stevens Point. The restaurant previously operated on Church Street from 1984 to 2000.

A new Burger King was built earlier this summer nearby at 1617 Scholfield Ave. and opened in July.

RELATED: New-look Taco John’s coming to Stevens Point

Chef’s Kitchen opens downtown with rotating menu.

Leah and Christian Czerwonka have created several local restaurants, including Christian’s Bistro, Father Fats and El Jefe’s Tacos Y Tequila. They also run a food truck, Chef C’s Munchie Mobile, seasonally.

So it came as no surprise to diners when the couple announced in March they would close El Jefe’s restaurant at 924 Clark St. in downtown Stevens Point and reopen it as Chef’s Kitchen.

“We get bored easily,” Leah Czerwonka told a Stevens Point Journal reporter in April. “We’re asking ourselves, ‘What’s new? What can we teach people?’ I would (create) a new restaurant every year if I could.”

And the restaurant features a twist — guests shouldn’t expect to see the same menu, or even the same style of food, forever. The restaurant currently features Italian food, wine and cocktails, but the couple left opportunities open for barbecue dishes, Asian-fusion cuisine, Brazilian specialties and a mix of other combinations in the future.

“Today it’s Italian, but only Chef can say what’s next,” says the restaurant’s website. “Expect the unexpected, but expect it to be creative, seasonal and made with passion.”

The couple still operates Father Fats at 945 Clark St. Christian’s Bistro in Plover closed at the end of 2018.

RELATED: Chef’s Kitchen opens in downtown Stevens Point; rotating menu now features Italian

Monk’s Bar & Grill opens at former Golden Corral site.

Central Wisconsin became home to its first Monk’s Bar & Grill restaurant in June. The Wisconsin sports bar and grill opened at the site of the former Golden Corral, 1400 Commerce Place in Plover.

The restaurant offers a wide variety of food options, from appetizers and wraps to salads, burgers, sandwiches, mac and cheese, and more. The menu also features some unique items such as sweet chili cauliflower bites, tater tot bacon mac and cheese, street tacos and a prime nacho burger.

The Plover location is the brand’s seventh site, joining other locations in Wisconsin Dells, at The Wilderness resort in Lake Delton, Middleton, Sun Prairie, Eau Claire and Verona.

RELATED: Monk’s Bar & Grill now open in Plover

Two new Mexican restaurants open, another will relocate.

El Mezcal announced in January its plans for a new home in a strip mall along Windy Drive and adjacent to U.S. 10 in Stevens Point. El Mezcal will occupy one of five tenant spaces in the retail center. The restaurant, which currently operates at 5720 Windy Drive, has been providing regular construction updates on its Facebook page. An opening date has not been set.

In October, El Molcajete opened in the former rue21 store at 1160 Meridan Drive in Plover’s Crossroads Commons. Its menu features authentic and traditional Mexican dishes and a Tex-Mex style of food. El Molcajete also features seafood options beyond the typical shrimp and fish dishes found in other Mexican restaurants, including salmon salads and tilapia. A salsa bar is a highlight of the dining room, featuring nine salsas and homemade guacamole.

Less than two weeks later, another new Mexican restaurant opened in Plover. Tulum Mexican Restaurant held its grand opening in the former Christian’s Bistro space at 3066 Village Park Drive. The restaurant’s menu offers a variety of salads, nachos, fajitas, burritos, tacos and vegetarian selections.

RELATED: El Mezcal to relocate as part of new U.S. 10 retail strip proposed by Amherst builder

RELATED: El Molcajete in Plover to offer authentic Mexican cuisine, Tex-Mex dishes and a salsa bar

Shopko closure leaves retail hole in community; optical center relocates.

After filing for bankruptcy early this year, Shopko closed the last of its retail stores in June. That included stores at 1200 Main St. in Stevens Point and 1800 Plover Road in Plover.

Stevens Point city leaders said deciding the future of the former Shopko space could be a lengthy process. Shopko sold more than 70 of its store locations – including the one in Stevens Point to Monarch Alternative Capital. Earlier this year, that investment company partnered with Raider Hill Advisors to create Heartland Hill Properties, a portfolio of 79 Shopko properties across 14 states.

Daniel Hurwitz, the founder and CEO of Raider Hill, said the goal is to look at each property and find its best value in the community when deciding each site’s future.

Shopko Optical, however, continued to operate inside the former Shopko store until it found a new home. Plover’s Shopko Optical opened in September at 174 Crossroads Drive, near Panda Express. The Stevens Point center opened in November at 316 Division St., in the same building as Family Video.

When Shopko sold its pharmacy business to Kroger Co. in 2018, it also sparked a new local business. Many Shopko pharmacists opened Hometown Pharmacies to fill a need in their communities.

Hometown Pharmacy is a group of independently owned and operated pharmacies throughout Wisconsin. The company partners with local pharmacists, and the business focuses more on overall health than just prescriptions.

Hometown Pharmacy opened at 1600 American Drive in Plover and 1129 Main St. in Stevens Point.

RELATED: Shopko’s last day: Sadness, empty shelves as Wisconsin retailer shuts down for good

RELATED: Shopko is gone. What does that mean for downtown Stevens Point?

Sentry Insurance opens new building, announces plans for hotel

Sentry Insurance opened its new office building in March. Construction began in June 2017, and almost two years later, employees moved into the 270,000-square-foot building, adjacent to the headquarters.

The company needed more office space for its 2,500 workers in Stevens Point. The new building is home to the claims, national accounts and transportation departments.

Sentry Insurance announced in August its plans to build a boutique hotel at SentryWorld. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2020 and the hotel is set to open in the spring of 2021.

RELATED: Sentry Insurance celebrates completion of ‘showstopper’ office building in Stevens Point

RELATED: Sentry Insurance will build boutique hotel at SentryWorld in Stevens Point

Mickey’s pizza makes a comeback.

Mickey’s was best-known for its homemade pizza, but the Stevens Point restaurant closed in 2013.

Tom Lodzinski’s parents opened Mickey’s about 50 years ago, and he had been looking for a new home for the restaurant since the original building was sold and torn down to widen Maria Drive.

Lodzinski found a new home for the restaurant in the former Club 10 building on Portage County HH. He adjusted the new business name to honor both venues, and Mickey T’s Club 10 was born.

The menu features a variety of pasta, fish fries, steak dinners and more, but the most popular item is the pizzas. Favorites include a shrimp pizza, chicken, bacon and ranch pizza, an anchovy pizza and a Canadian bacon pizza.

One day in February, restaurant staff made 94 pizzas in just four hours to accommodate the orders coming in from guests.

RELATED: Remember Mickey’s pizza? You can enjoy it again at Mickey T’s Club 10 in Stevens Point

Worzalla announces $10 million expansion

Worzalla announced in October its plans to invest more than $10 million toward an expansion that will add 50,000 square feet to its building, new equipment and more than 50 jobs at its site in Stevens Point.

The project will focus on modernization and expanding the facility, said Jim Fetherston, president and CEO of Worzalla. This expansion will be the 11th addition at the site since it was built in 1957 at 3535 Jefferson St. in Stevens Point.

The expansion will also add equipment like a new printing press and binding machine. Worzalla officials said the company had to turn down projects this fall because it didn’t have the capacity to fill the orders. After the expansion is complete, the company is expecting to see 20% to 25% growth.

RELATED: Worzalla in Stevens Point announces $10 million expansion, plans to add 50 jobs

Marten Machining will build new headquarters in Stevens Point

In April, Marten Machining announced its plans to build its new manufacturing headquarters in Stevens Point.

The company is building a 40,000-square-foot headquarters facility on 11.5 acres in the Portage County Business Park. The facility will focus on the company’s machining, engineering and design divisions, and it will hold several new offices, multiple work spaces, collaboration areas, conference rooms and more.

The company’s president, Alan Marten, said the new facility will help foster creativity and ingenuity within the company.

A representative from the company said Marten Machining is building new headquarters to accommodate growth and hopes to double its workforce within five years. The company currently employs 40 people. The new location has room for any future expansions, as well.

RELATED: Marten Machining to build new Stevens Point headquarters, hopes to double workforce

Pixelle Specialty Solutions to buy Verso paper mill in Stevens Point

In November, Pixelle Specialty Solutions announced that it had signed a definitive purchase agreement to acquire specialty paper mills in Stevens Point and Jay, Maine, from Verso Corp.

The $400 million transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2020, according to a release from Pixelle. Once the sales are complete, Pixelle will be the largest specialty paper business in the country for annual production, with the ability to produce more than 1 million tons of paper annually between its four mills in Maine, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

According to Verso’s website, the Stevens Point mill opened in 1919 and sits on 24.5 acres. It’s one of the largest and most modern paper mills in North America for producing specialty papers and employs about 240 people.

RELATED: Pixelle Specialty Solutions to buy Verso paper mill in Stevens Point

Contact Caitlin at [email protected] or follow her on Twitter @CaitlinShuda.

Top 14 applebee's grill and bar eau claire menu