Wildlife Bar and Grill now Daisy’s Place

Daisy Lorge, Thaddeus Blank take over bar and rename business
By: 
Luke Reimer
Reporter

New owners have taken over the Wildlife Bar and Grill in Navarino.

The Wildlife Bar and Grill had previously been in business for five years, before Daisy Lorge and Thaddeus Blank turned it into Daisy’s Place on Jan. 19.

Lorge was born and raised in Clintonville, where she worked as a cook and bartender at Big Sal and Cheesy’s Restaurant and Bar.

Lorge worked for the previous owners of Wildlife Bar and Grill as a bartender and waitress as well. After the previous owner was dealing with health problems, Lorge took over the bar and with her husband Thaddeus and they renamed it, Daisy’s Place.

“I bar tended for the previous owner and due to health conditions, she needed someone to come in and bring some life back into the bar,” said Lorge. “So we figured, why not?”

Daisy’s place incorporates a full menu, including burgers, wings and fish. The bar and grill offers specials during the week, including taco Tuesdays, wing Wednesdays and fish frys on Friday.

“Our Friday fish fry is huge, as well as Taco Tuesdays,” said Lorge.

Daisy’s Place is often a destination place for residents in the Navarino community due to the fact that it is one of the only places in the town to get food.

“We are one of the only business in this town to get food,” said Lorge. “So, we get a lot of different people in here — a lot of people at the bar and a lot of families as well.”

Daisy’s Place sits in a prime location, as snowmobilers and travelers often stop in for dinner or a drink. The bar and grill is welcoming to families as well, as they provide a dining area separate from the bar. Navarino also sits in an area in Wisconsin that is often frequented by those who are traveling up north.

“We do get a lot of traffic from people who are traveling from Green Bay and Appleton,” said Lorge. “Facebook has also been great as people are coming in from outside of the community after seeing pictures of the food.”

With the COVID-19 pandemic continuing, Lorge and Blank have found it necessary to place hand sanitizer around the bar, as well as ask customers to keep an open bar stool between each other. They have also noticed that take-out has been popular among customers. Lorge and Blank are also accommodating in their efforts to serve those who don’t feel comfortable coming into the building.

“If somebody does not want to come in and they want us to run food out to their car, we will accommodate them,” said Blank.

With vaccines being more readily available, resulting in the pandemic slowing down, Lorge and Blank expect that more visitors and consumers will come in to eat and drink.

“We hear a lot of people say that they have got their second round of the COVID shot, so now they can come in and have a drink,” said Lorge.

While working at Wildlife, Lorge noticed that the spring and summer months are the most busy.

“Spring and summer is our busy season,” said Lorge. “With softball being played and us being on the main path when motorcyclists come through, it gets very busy in the spring and summer.”

Even though this is the case, winter has been surprisingly busy as well.

“For the winter, there are hunting clubs and snowmobilers around,” said Blank. “Those last couple days that people were able to snowmobile were crazy for us.”

The first two months of business for Lorge and Blank have been eventful as they have seen many people come in, as well as heard a positive public reaction about the bar.

“We have been welcomed into this town tremendously,” said Lorge. “Everybody has been wonderful, they tell us how nice the place looks and how we are bring life back to the town.”

Lorge and Blank are happy to run their own bar, as they do enjoy their time making their own schedule and working under their own guidance, as well as meeting people from all over the community.

“People of all ages are welcome to come in and dine and shoot pool,” said Lorge. “It is just kind of like a hangout spot.”


lreimer@newmedia-wi.com