It was sold and passed through two short lived ownerships in 70's first as Heffner's Hideaway a biker bar with a notorious after-hours operation of illegal gambling, bookmaking and wild clientele. As the years went on, The Rustic Tavern gained a hard nosed reputation with regular calls being made to the police to break up disorderly clientele. The roadhouse was built on a farm and garnered much excitement as a dance hall with live music 4 nights a week, even once hosting a performance by the legendary Johnny Cash & The Tennessee Two. For more information, call 92 or visit or "The Hitching Post Bar & Grill" Facebook page.Driving along the rural roads of Salem Township you stumble upon a historic log cabin restaurant that opened it's doors on January 31, 1947. daily except Wednesdays and serves food until 9 p.m. The Hitching Post Bar & Grill is at 4849 Glidden Drive, at its intersection with County T/Whitefish Bay Road, in Sturgeon Bay. They sat their grandfather used to bring them here to get a root beer and a bag of chips. People just have fond memories of the place. "The feedback we've been receiving is that (people) are just happy The Hitching Post is back in operation. "We've had three generations coming up here to enjoy the delights of The Hitching Post," Andy Ripp said. Following the initial surge in its first few months, when people were curious about the "new" Hitching Post, a snowy winter brought a lot of snowmobilers, and summer brought a healthy number of tourists.Īlso visiting are residents who remember The Hitching Post from back in the day and sometimes brings their children or grandchildren for the experience. So far, the business is going well, he said.
Of splitting the duties, Andy Rapp said with a laugh: "It's a lot of paper-scissors-rock." "We pretty much both do everything," she said. Carolyn Ripp said two part-time cooks are on board, along with help from their daughter and Andy Ripp's mother. We got a log cabin in the middle of nowhere - what would you find in a log cabin in the middle of nowhere? Around here, we just keep it simple. "We just couldn't maintain the organic part," Andy Ripp said. Within two months, Veronica Ripp returned to running her Sturgeon Bay cafe and the organic dishes disappeared. The couple became owners, with Veronica Ripp coming in to run the restaurant, with half the menu offering healthy, organic items from Get Real Cafe and half offering burgers, sandwiches and other pub fare. This building will always be The Hitching Post in everyone's minds." "Everyone still calls it the Sears Tower. "It's like the Sears Tower," he said, referring to the Chicago skyscraper that was renamed "Willis Tower" in 2009. I went with The Hitching Post Bar & Grill, and the state accepted that."įor him, the familiarity and longevity of the name was important. "The Hitching Post was already taken, so the state made me apply with a different name. "When you incorporate, you apply to the state with a name for the business," he said. He wanted the place to revert back to being The Hitching Post, but ran into some red tape. Then, there was the change back to the original name.
Louis, we pursued the opportunity," he said. "When she indicated she was willing to move to Door County from St. So, Andy and Carolyn Ripp decided to plunge into the restaurant business - but they had a couple hurdles to clear, first.Īndy Ripp said he wanted to make sure their then-16-year-old daughter would be okay with relocating and having to make new friends and attend a new school. She isn't the only Ripp with experience in the business: their father, David Ripp, owns the Nightingale Supper Club in Sturgeon Bay. Veronica Ripp told them it was on the market, and about her desire to move her business. RELATED: Halloween in Door County: Trick-or-treat times, parties, pumpkins, moreįOR MORE DOOR COUNTY NEWS: Check out our homepage It became the Tin Plate in August of 2015 and added a few upscale items to the menu, but by then it was open on what Andy Ripp called an "irregular" basis. They "talked about moving (to Door County), half jokingly, for some time," and that opportunity arose last year when his sister, Veronica Ripp, who was creating organic cuisine at her Get Real Cafe in Sturgeon Bay, was looking to expand.Īt the time, the log cabin restaurant and bar near Whitefish Dunes State Park and Cave Point County Park was not The Hitching Post any more.
Louis in 1997 and came back on occasion to visit. The couple moved to Carolyn Ripp's native St.