With new owners Lauren and Jerred Laubscher in charge, there is little changed from the Amico’s Midwest Pizzeria in Bonduel that customers knew over the past 23 years.
The Laubschers continue to serve the same recipes as when Amico’s was owned by Melissa and Jason Hutter and it was named one of America’s Best Restaurants by Americasbestrestaurants.com.
The Laubschers took over the restaurant in Bonduel on July 1, 2025.
Jerred Laubscher shadowed Jason Hutter for 2 1/2 months, learning everything about the pizzas, pasta, hoagies and salads, and the business in general, before taking over the pizzeria.
“People have been coming here for a long time. There are the regulars that we didn’t want to upset,” Lauren Laubscher said. “Everybody has been so kind and the community has been amazing. We’ve gotten a lot of community support.”
The Hutters now own Little Village Pizza Crusts, 109 E. Green Bay St., Bonduel. The Laubschers purchase thin crusts and dough balls from there, continuing the same menu items the Hutters had used.
“We have always loved Amico’s pizza,” Lauren Laubscher said.
Before getting serious about buying Amico’s, the Laubschers attended a youth hockey league get-together at Good Vibes Bar and Grill, next door to Amico’s. They were surprised to see pizzas coming into the bar through a window pass-through between Amico’s and Good Vibes.
Jason Hutter poked his head through the window passage and Lauren Laubscher said to him, “I keep telling my husband that he should buy Amico’s.”
Hutter replied, “Well, he should.”
Hutter took it off the market shortly after, but the Laubschers kept up the joke about buying the pizzeria. Six months later, when it went back on the market, buying just felt right to them, Lauren Laubscher said.
They toured the restaurant, talked with Hutter and did all the required due diligence.
“Then we ended up here,” Lauren Laubscher said. “We kept everything the same. The Hutters had this business for 23 years, so they worked out all the kinks before us.”
Although they may change or add more things in the future, Lauren Laubscher said, “Why fix it if it’s not broken?”
Jerred Laubscher said that they make all of their own sauces for the pizzas and pasta, including Alfredo sauce.
The Laubschers were able to continue Hutter’s work on getting USDA certification for their frozen pizza line.
“They’ve been flying off the shelves,” Lauren Laubscher said. “They can now be sold in grocery stores, bars or convenience stores.”
Many of the fresh pizzas on the menu are available in the frozen line. The frozen case is next to the register for easy pickup by customers.
The Hutters have continued to help the Laubschers.
“They’ve been great mentors to us, and we’re really grateful for that,” Lauren Laubscher said.
“I call him our baker. He’s like a master baker,” she said. “He does the hoagie buns, the dough and the crust.”
In fact, Jason Hutter took over as the head pizza maker for the Laubschers during the Shawano County Fair when they were busy showing goats they raise on their farm.
It happened to be the actual 23rd anniversary of Amico’s, a fitting time for Hutter to return to the pizzeria for one big night.
The Laubschers are continuing the relationship with Good Vibes Bar and Grill. Through an arrangement with Good Vibes, customers order pizzas in the bar, then Amico’s sends them through the special window pass-through between the buildings.
Jerred Laubscher grew up in Carthage, New York, where it was always a special family treat to be able to go for pizza in town.
Lauren Laubscher said that her husband wants to be able to bring that family experience to Amico’s customers.
Lauren Laubscher is from a small town between Menominee and Escanaba in the Upper Peninsula. She moved to Shawano in 2012 to work for Genex.
While Lauren Laubscher worked breeding cows for Genex in the Shawano area, Jerred Laubscher did the same in New York. They met for the first time in a Genex training class.
They dated long-distance for a year and a half. He moved to Shawano after they became engaged.
“I still work full-time, for Land O’Lakes,” she said.
She also puts in hours as needed at the restaurant.
Jerred Laubscher’s full-time job now is the head pizza maker and owner-operator of Amico’s.
The Laubschers have three children. Lane is 9 years old, August is 8 and Laurilai is 7. They attend Bonduel schools and are active in youth hockey and 4-H.
“It’s really a family affair here,” Lauren Laubscher said. “A lot of times our kids are here. The biggest challenge is that they want to help out so much. We let Laurilai help the waitresses. Lane likes to bus the tables. They all are really good at making boxes. All of our pizza boxes have to be put together. That was the first thing that they learned.”
Lauren Laubscher is on the Shawano Hockey League board of directors. She said that they sell Amico’s pizza at the Crawford Center, 251 S. Waukechon St. in Shawano.
“We have three hockey players,” Lauren Laubscher said. “Laurilai is on the all-girls team that we waited to have here for 32 years and finally got one. It’s a really cool thing to be a part of.”
Lauren Laubscher said she and family, being involved in the community, wants to get to know the folks in Bonduel and beyond that they haven’t met yet.
“We want you to come in. We’re just like you. Come eat at our table,” she said.
Jerred Laubscher, owner/operator of Amico’s Midwest Pizzeria, at 105 N. Cecil St. in Bonduel, readies a pizza crust for toppings. Laubscher and his wife, Lauren Laubscher, purchased the pizzeria from Melissa and Jason Hutter in July, 2025. The Laubschers are keeping the same recipes that were a success for the Hutters. (Lynn Zaffrann)
