FOND DU LAC – 2021 is coming to an end, and business-wise, Fond du Lac has had a busy year.
Fond du Lac experienced both wins and losses when it came to business news this year, both with major chains and small family establishments.
While some businesses closed, others opened or relocated, shaking up the high-traffic area of Johnson Street and the downtown sector.
Readers were most interested in restaurant stories, as former managers followed their dreams and more pizza restaurants joined Fond du Lac's collection.
The state of the Shopko building and the Forest Mall were also popular questions, even as development on both continues into 2022.
Here's a look at the business stories readers that caught the most attention in 2021:
After the store closed in 2019, the Shopko building, 616 W. Johnson St., caught some attention this year when Corta Development eyed the space and worked with NETSTREIT Corp. to divide the building into space for two retailers.
The first to sign a 10-year lease was Hobby Lobby, in February. Community Development Director Dyann Benson told City Council at the time that big box stores aren’t the easiest to redevelop, making this a great opportunity for the city.
Envision Greater Fond du Lac later announced Big Lots would occupy the second space, selling everything from name brand furniture to home goods, clothing, groceries, electronics and pet supplies.
In September, construction started in the parking lot for an out lot building, soon to house a new Taco John’s restaurant. Once the new location opens, the Main Street location will close, according to Brett Itterman, CEO of Pentex Restaurant Group, the parent company of Taco John's.
Further west on Johnson Street, T.J. Maxx moved from its original location, 800 W. Johnson St., to the former Staples building at 835 W. Johnson St., across the street.
The new location opened in November as one of the first steps in the Forest Mall redevelopment plan, which will eventually include a Meijer location.
Fond du Lac welcomed Argentum et Aurum, 25 N. Main St., early in the year with its relic-style jewelry handmade by owner Monica Lara.
Lara puts her love of antiques into her jewelry, using lost-wax casting to create intricate ring and necklace designs out of recycled materials.
Salon specialist Amber Zuelke took Texture Salon alumni and opened Bespoke Salon, 20 N. Main St., in April.
Zuelke and the other stylists worked together on the design, color and decoration process as the new building underwent remodeling. The name Bespoke, Zuelke explained, represents the customization they do every day for their customers.
A pair of local artists took their crafts to another downtown storefront and opened Handmade Haven this summer at 73 S. Main St.
Molly Tynan, owner of online store Mollies VooDoo Dollies, sews gnomes in a variety of patterns and themes, including Green Bay Packers or Harley-Davidson. She teamed up with Tommy Moravetz, owner of Red Beard Originals, who makes wooden gifts, such as wooden signs, cutting boards and wine caddies.
After just a year inside Annie's Fountain City Cafe, CC's Chocolates ventured into its own space in the former Yummy Bones Restaurant, 57 N. Macy St.
Owner Claudette Rahmer sells handmade chocolates, cheesecakes, tiramisu and other treats, and the new location includes a drive-thru window.
One of the state's oldest record stores, Mad Hatteur, closed its doors this summer at 231 N. Main St. — and then opened them up again in a new location, 459 S. Main St.
The store hosted concert ticket sales, and music buffs visited regularly seeking new albums and collectables for decades since its 1973 opening. It was also known to sponsor concerts at the fairgrounds, including Styx, and celebrate album releases with midnight parties.
In October, Emily and Chad Zimmerman brought something new to Fond du Lac: an escape room called Great Escape, 21 N. Portland St., Suite 1A.
The business debuted with two rooms: one challenging players to stop a runaway train before it reaches a washed-out bridge, and one tasking players to find evidence that proves a man is innocent of murder before his trial starts.
A more recent downtown venture was Gathered Roots, which opened in December to offer the best of Fond du Lac products under one roof, including Faris Gourmet Popcorn, Ledgerock Distillery and LaClare Family Creamery, as well as both classic and newer stores that shape the area’s identity.
Owners Donna Pierce and Lawrence Foster opened the store to be an experience for the city's residents and visitors by showcasing what Fond du Lac has to be proud of.
Restaurant news garnered the most attention from The Reporter readers in 2021, particularly new restaurants opening in the city.
A Family Affair Soulfood Kitchen kicked off the year with a late January opening and a promise to serve “comforting, homestyle cuisine with deep southern roots from the heart of Mississippi,” owner Arletta Allen said in a prospectus she provided to the city at the time.
The restaurant caught attention on social media in February after an individual alleged it was being anti-LGBTQ when they were turned down for employment for being "too energetic and flamboyant." Soon after, Allen publicly apologized for this and the resulting social media storm, including the comments her husband and business partner Troy Allen made.
However, a fire damaged the restaurant in October, and Allen announced on Facebook in early December that it will not reopen.
In June, two Fond du Lac women, Sarah Palas and Brandee Alexander, announced they moved into the old Trinity Lutheran Church building, 40 E. Division St., to open The Cellar District.
Palas and Alexander brought their combined 30 years of experience in the hospitality industry, including time spent together at The Coliseum, where both have served as manager.
The Cellar District officially opened in early October to serve up farm-to-table dishes with an emphasis on using local Wisconsin vendors, including Ledgerock Distillery, Fifth Ward Brewery and LaClare farms.
The first restaurant to leave Fond du Lac in 2021 was fast casual restaurant chain Fazoli's, which closed quietly in early January, depriving the city of its breadsticks.
Now, the nearest Fazoli's location is in Oshkosh.
Though Schreiner's closed in 2020, its building stood for another year as a reminder of Regina and Albert Schreiner's legacy before it came down in early October.
The demolition makes way for a new Kwik Trip planned for the space, which will be the seventh in the city, and the fifth with a car wash.
A win for an existing eatery went to Kelley Country Creamery this year, who had a visit from ABC's "Good Morning America" in September. The show filmed a segment on Wisconsin to include in its "Rise and Shine" series that visits all 50 states as the nation emerges from the coronavirus pandemic.
The show had previously named the creamery's ice cream the best in America in 2013.
Among its restaurant openings, Fond du Lac expanded one of its most popular pizza joints and welcomed two pizza chains, which all opened within a couple months of each other.
Bob's Pizza opened a second location this year, calling it Bob's on the Avenue, 689 Fond du Lac Ave. The business combines a dine-in pizzeria with a cocktail lounge, game room, drive-thru window and a franchise of Just Love Coffee Café.
It officially opened mid-September and offers its locally famous pizza, as well as sandwiches, pasta and salads
Happy Joe's Pizza & Ice Cream announced its arrival in May, eyeing up the former Applebee's location, 841 W. Johnson St. It celebrated its grand opening Sept. 22 and has since been serving up its famous taco pizza and old-fashioned ice cream among its offerings.
The restaurant also features a designated event space and a family fun center with 12 arcade games and a prize counter.
Toppers Pizza, 186 N. Main St., took up residence near Jimmy John's and Walgreens Oct. 18. It's known for staying open late and offering traditional toppings as well as unconventional ones, such as macaroni and cheese, "tater tots" and beer-battered cheese curds.
The restaurant also has a variety of macaroni and cheese sides, as well as chicken wings and their famous "Topperstix," cheese sticks that can be topped with bacon, pepperoni or jalapenos.
The Hive, W4786 State 23, livened up the bar scene from inside The Caddy Shack starting in June, with craft beer, live music and quirky activities.
Owner Erika Daleiden took her experience in the hospitality business to contribute to Fond du Lac's growing east side, bringing weekly "Bee Races" and other events, such as a New Year's Eve bonfire.
After closing in November 2020 for construction, Sully's Irish Pub, 384 S. Main St., opened with a new look and feel in October, remodeled to lean into the Irish pub style.
The interior was almost completely redone, matching a fresh exterior, and an extension of the building added new bathrooms, a full kitchen and an outdoor beer garden.
Kings & Queens Lounge, 211 N. Military Road, changed its image and reopened as Social N Lounge in November, offering an R&B live band vibe and the city’s first prop-filled “selfie museum” in the form of several themed rooms on the upper level.
The lounge originally opened in 2020 but closed for much of this year after a shooting outside the building in March hurt the business.
Owners Herb Haywood Jr. and Michelle Haywood revisited their mission to bring a Black-owned social lounge to the city with good energy and vibes and established their working relationship with the Fond du Lac Police Department in a mutual goal of keeping the neighborhood safe.
A party staple since the '80s, Spectrum Roller Rink closed for good this summer as owner Chris Cohen retired.
Between the light-up dance floor and skating activities, the Spectrum was a place for Fond du Lac to have fun, no matter their age.
Jeff Korneli and Jeff Berenz bought the rink to convert it into Korneli's on the Avenue, a banquet and family entertainment venue. Skating will stay in the space, joined by games for children, birthday party rooms and a new bar.
Contact Daphne Lemke at dlemke@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter at @daphlemke.
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