At Blazer’s Bar and Grill, located at N3189 County Road SS in rural Tigerton, owner Chelsea Wiszus and her staff have plenty of food and drink on hand — with hot, homemade daily specials offered to customers, offsetting cold winter days.
With a heart to serve, Wiszus has been in the restaurant industry ever since she was 15 years old, as her first job was waitressing at Prime Time in Marion.
“When I turned 18, I got my bartending license to sell liquor and then started tending bar there,” said Wiszus. “After that, I worked at Bubba’s in Marion.”
Later, after marrying her husband, Jake, and starting their family, they moved to Appleton. Jake had just completed a stint in Iraq with the armed services, while Chelsea Wiszus attended school in Appleton at Fox Valley Tech, graduating with a two-year associate’s degree in hospitality management.
“My degree taught me the management end of running a business, the full range of what’s required,” said Wiszus. “Not just being a chef — it gave me a full scope of what I’d need to be successful.”
During her schooling, she got a job in Oshkosh working for a man named Don Herman, who would eventually play a vital role in her future. When Wiszus graduated, their family was growing so they decided to move again to be closer to family in Tigerton.
At that point, Blazer’s Bar and Grill (formerly Nite Hawk) had been up for sale. With her previous employer owning hunting land just down the road from the establishment, Wiszus presented Herman and his girlfriend, Paula Davis, with a proposal: If they would purchase the property, she would run the business until she could get enough funds to buy it. That’s exactly what transpired in July 2023.
“It was kinda crazy because everything just sort of fell into place. Well, I guess I have to admit, with a little planning involved,” said Wiszus.
The Wiszuses have three children — Deanna, 18; Emilee, 11; and Kole, 7. With her husband holding a full-time job apart from the business, he handles occasional maintenance issues needed at the bar. The daily responsibilities and tasks of operating the business fall to Chelsea Wiszus.
With approximately 10 people helping Wiszus — some who work once per month or so to fill in as needed as cooks or bartenders — Wiszus staffs a full kitchen and bar. Performance Food Service in Shawano is Blazer’s main vendor, and the establishment stocks food it requires almost exclusively from them.
Another aspect of Blazer’s is the Bar and Grill loft, which is the living quarters above the bar.
“We rent these living quarters out above the bar on a daily or weekend basis to people who stay in the area four-wheeling, snowmobiling, participating in dart ball tournaments in the area, during the hunting season or even for local weddings,” said Wiszus. “There’s not much in the way of accommodations in this area.”
The space can be rented year-round and has four queen beds and bathroom facilities. While it does not boast a kitchen, it does have a pizza oven, refrigerator, freezer and microwave.
“I guess I must have a heart for serving,” Wiszus said. “I don’t know why; this is a hard business to be involved in. Don’t get me wrong, I love what I’m doing but it’s got its days. The last couple of months there’s been lots to fix and this last weekend, the pipes were freezing.”
Take-out orders or reservations for the loft are accepted by calling 715-535-2001. The full bar and new menu offerings, daily specials, unusual upcoming events and hours of operation are on Facebook at Blazer’s Bar and Grill, Tigerton.
