JOHNSON CREEK -- Steve Paulet and his wife, Rachel Bauer, knew little about the Gobbler.
But they're all in on returning its groove.
The Madison couple didn't grow up in Wisconsin so they never sipped a drink at the rotating bar or danced in the supper club's elevated night club called The Roost. They didn't know that a turkey farmer hired a world-renowned architect to design the building that opened in 1969 and drew customers from around the region.
Steve Paulet, owner of Groovy Wood Studios in Madison and his wife, Rachel Bauer, a business executive with years of experience in hospitality, have proposed buying The Gobbler Theater in Johnson Creek. The couple want to expand the building's use as a music venue and give it a new name: Club Groovy at the Gobbler.
The building continued to elude the couple's radar even after Dan Manesis, the owner of a Wauwatosa trucking company, spent $2.4 million to buy and convert the low-slung, white building with eye-shaped windows that had been vacant for more than 10 years into a 404-seat music venue that made its debut in 2015.
Renamed The Gobbler Theater, it presented shows once a month or every six weeks and featured country and country crossover acts such as The Kentucky Headhunters, Joe Diffie, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and Ronnie Milsap mixed in with occasional Christian rock performances. The COVID-19 pandemic ended the shows, and in 2021 Manesis died of cancer.
People are also reading…
So in December, when Paulet and Bauer were driving from Madison to their son's graduation at UW-Milwaukee, they realized the 10-acre property along Interstate 94 was for sale for $1.6 million. They knew almost instantly they had to take a look.
Heather Ewing, a real estate broker for the future owners of The Gobbler Theater, explores the lower level of the building that was constructed in 1969 and retains some of its period wallpaper.
Once inside, their entrepreneurial wheels began to spin and they knew they had to buy the business they're renaming Club Groovy at the Gobbler. And yes, the purple lounge chairs will remain around the bar, along with the purple shag carpeting and pink wallpaper on the walls of a downstairs hallway.
"As I'm walking inside, I'm literally shaking," Paulet said. "The only way I could explain it is that Dan Manesis grabbed (me) as I was driving by and said, 'You're the one.' So the Gobbler's buying me, I'm not buying the Gobbler."
Rachel Bauer, who along with her husband, Steve Paulet, plans to buy The Gobbler Theater in Johnson Creek, speaks with visitors as they stand backstage. Bauer and Paulet hope to revive music shows this summer and want to invite area residents to use the building for rehearsals, recitals and recording sessions.
Paulet, a Navy veteran who hunted submarines and spent time in banking, is an audiophile, lover of music and owner of Groovy Wood Studios, a Madison company formed in 2020 that buys, restores and sells console radios and record players. Bauer has a background in commercial banking, assisting entrepreneurs as a business consultant, and worked in hospitality and hotel development planning. For five years she owned a boutique hotel in Sycamore, Illinois.
When they toured the Gobbler, Paulet began thinking about the acoustics and what kind of acts he could draw. Bauer was excited that it was basically a turnkey operation, needed little renovation and had a working point of sales system. Their plans could get the go-ahead Monday when the Johnson Creek Village Board is scheduled to vote on a conditional use permit for the business and a full liquor license that would allow Club Groovy to sell not only beer and wine but a full slate of cocktails.
Steve Paulet explores the Gobbler Theater's basement where he wants to add rehearsal space and an acoustic stage. Paulet and his wife were driving from Madison to UW-Milwaukee for their son's graduation in December when they saw the business along Interstate 94 in Johnson Creek was for sale.
"This is a great performance space, but the hospitality end of this really excites me," said Bauer. "I stepped behind the bar and I got a little 'vibratey' myself. I miss bartending. I miss working with staff and putting on a fun experience for people."
Paulet and Bauer are expected to close on the purchase in July. They also are signing a short-term lease for May and June that will allow them to prepare the business for the return of musical acts by later this summer, which could bring more visitors to the village and boost bookings at two nearby hotels.
Their vision, however, far exceeds what Manesis had done in the past.
Steve Paulet visits with his architect, Chris Gosch of Populance in Madison, as they enjoy a moment in The Gobbler Theater. "There's always life left in these (buildings), you just have to find the right teams," Gosch said. "It's an artifact gem from a different time."
They envision a wide range of musical genres that could include indie bands and up-and-coming rock artists, classic rock bands, country crossover, jazz and stand-up comedy acts. The goal is for multiple shows a week that will draw audiences from throughout southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois. They plan to use the main stage for live recording sessions and piano recitals, and in the basement build rehearsal space for all ages, including area students. The plans also call for the construction of an acoustic stage in the basement for acts that want to play without amplification before or after their concerts upstairs.
"The community here has no idea how big of an impact I'm dying to make here," Paulet said. "I want the place to be used. To me, its a cultural outreach center. I just like the vibe it threw off the moment I walked in."
Sharing their vision to convert a lower level bar area of the former Gobbler music theater into an acoustic music stage with visitors are future owners Steve Paulet, second from left, and his wife, Rachel Bauer.
Since 1969
The plans by Paulet and Bauer add another chapter to the building's funky history.
Clarence Hartwig, a local turkey farmer, spent $1 million to build and open the Gobbler along with the Gobbler Hotel up the hill to the east. The businesses drew customers from throughout southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois who would dine, drink and dance and stay in the motel's lush rooms with shag carpeting and round beds. Both closed in 1992 before a trio of area businessmen bought the property in 1996 for $494,000 as an investment and put another $600,000 into the property for upgrades that led to a number of restaurants using the space until the early 2000s when the motel was demolished.
Dan Manesis, seen here in 2014, purchased the property that formerly housed the Gobbler Supper Club in Johnson Creek and spent more than $2.4 million to convert the 1969 building into The Gobbler Theater. Manesis died in 2021.
The supper club building remained empty for years, which led to a 2009 auction in an attempt to sell the building, land and much of its furnishings, including petrified wood that decorated the building's lavish interior.
No bids, however, were submitted for the building or land. Five years later, Manesis purchased the property for $635,000.
Visitors to the lower level of the former Gobbler music theater in Johnson Creek cast shadows on a wall of the soon to be reopened business.
Since his death, a number of potential buyers have looked at the building. Some wanted to use it as a music venue, others made inquiries about creating a conference center.
"The village wants it to be a destination," said Dave Ferron, a real estate broker for Cushman & Wakefield Boerke, the Milwaukee company listing the property. "It's high profile and it's been here forever. The village wants this to stay."
Audio equipment fills a room behind the stage of the Gobbler Theater in Johnson Creek. The building under went a massive renovation in 2014 and 2015 that converted the former supper club and night club into a music venue.
Ramping up
Because most acts are already booked for this year, initial shows will primarily be local and regional bands but will eventually ramp up into bigger acts, some of whom might be passing through on their way to Chicago, Minneapolis and Milwaukee.
A hint at Paulet's musical taste can be experienced in his Groovy Wood Studios at 1 Sherman Terrace, just north of Tenney Park. This is where restored consoles manufactured by Grundig, Telefunken, Blaupunkt, RCA and Zenith fill a showroom that also includes posters of Elvis Presley and Paulet's eclectic record collection that includes jazz greats Thelonious Monk and Miles Davis and some of the biggest names in legendary rock.
"I want to find the Beatles 1962 or the (Rolling) Stones 1962 before they were a hit and they were out there living in their vans and playing their hearts out," Paulet said of the type of bands he wants to play at Club Groovy. "What's driving this is my passion for music."
Restored mid-century modern stereo consoles fill the showroom at Groovy Wood Studio at the corner of Sherman Avenue and Sherman Terrace near Tenney Park. Steve Paulet, seen here in 2021, started the business in 2020 and has seen his sales of restored consoles grow to include customers around the country.
Paulet, who grew up playing the trombone in New York's Hudson Valley, was inspired to pursue his own music venue after attending last August's Mile of Music, a four-day indie music festival that features more than 200 bands playing original music in downtown Appleton. Paulet was invited to the event by Dave Willems, who runs and co-founded the festival, after Paulet sold Willems a jukebox and radio console. Willems is now on Paulet's board of directors for Club Groovy at the Gobbler, but Paulet and Bauer had been looking far and wide for a venue before landing in Johnson Creek.
"It really got my wheels spinning," Paulet said of his trip to the Mile of Music. "If we found the right place, we were going to go. But guess what? We found not only the right place but a great place that keeps us here. There's so many right things about it. I just can't wait for this to be up and operating again."
Photos: Groovy Wood Studio
Groovy Wood Studio
Work orders for customers of Steve Paulet’s Groovy Wood Studio are displayed on a wall inside the Madison business.
Groovy Wood Studio
The station menu of a 1930’s-era Italian radio console is seen inside its restored cabinet at Groovy Wood Studio.
Groovy Wood Studio
The Groovy Wood Studio workshop in Madison.
Groovy Wood Studio
A vintage, German-designed radio console was restored by workers at Groovy Wood Studio, which specializes in restorations of pieces from between 1955 and 1969.
Groovy Wood Studio
Steve Paulet's office is filled with restored consoles, Beatles and Elvis Presley concert posters and plush furniture. This is where Paulet listens closely to each of his pieces before shipping them out to customers around the country.
Groovy Wood Studio
A mid-century modern radio console restored by workers at Groovy Wood Studio is displayed inside the Madison business.
Groovy Wood Studio
Restored mid-century modern stereo consoles fill the showroom at Groovy Wood Studio at the corner of Sherman Avenue and Sherman Terrace near Tenney Park. Steve Paulet, right, started the business just over a year ago and has seen his sales of restored consoles grow to customers around the country.
Groovy Wood Studio
Mike Weiland works on the restoration of a German-made Blaupunkt console radio cabinet at Groovy Wood Studio.
Groovy Wood Studio
Restored mid-century modern stereo consoles fill the showroom at Steve Paulet’s Groovy Wood Studio in Madison.
Groovy Wood Studio
Steve Paulet, owner of Groovy Wood Studio, is reflected in a vintage mirror in his office.
Groovy Wood Studio
Richard Lord uses a hand sander to restore the exterior of a console at Groovy Wood Studio. Finished pieces can sell for more than $2,500.
Groovy Wood Studio
Tools, old turntables and scores of components fill the workshop at Groovy Wood Studio. Some customers want consoles restored with tubes, but others are more concerned with the look and request that more modern technology be installed.
Barry Adams covers regional news for the Wisconsin State Journal. Send him ideas for On Wisconsin at 608-252-6148 or by email at badams@madison.com.
"It's been an interesting journey, getting to know him. Really, I think he was just a sweet young man."
Ann Reinke Strong, a niece to George Fenn
April 23, 2023 at 05:30PM
https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMijgFodHRwczovL21hZGlzb24uY29tL25ld3MvbG9jYWwvdGhlLWdvYmJsZXItaXMtYWJvdXQtdG8tZ2V0LW5ldy1vd25lcnMtYW5kLWxpdHRsZS1tb3JlLWdyb292eS9hcnRpY2xlXzM5M2FkYjUwLThjYTgtNTU5Ny04MjMxLWRiN2IzMzliYjM3Mi5odG1s0gEA?oc=5
The Gobbler is about to get new owners and little more groovy - Madison.com
https://news.google.com/search?q=little&hl=en-US&gl=US&ceid=US:en
No comments:
Post a Comment