A new hand on the helm of Schooner

Schooner Pub, a downtown Port institution that for decades has been a favorite watering hole for locals and visitors alike, is about to change hands.

Owner Mark “Chico” Poull said Tuesday that he has reached a deal to sell the business and building at 114 N. Franklin St. to Bill Schwalbe. 

“It’ll be 40 years, four months and four days” by the time the men complete the sale, Poull said, adding the men haven’t determined the exact date to complete the sale.

It’s expected to be completed by early January, he said.

The Port Washington Common Council is expected next week to approve the transfer of the liquor license, City Clerk Susan Westerbeke said.

Schwalbe, who hails from Grafton, said he plans to stick with Poull’s recipe for success.

“It’s important to keep things pretty much the same — the same name, the same staff,” he said. 

But, he added, he plans to market the business a little more and explore some new things.

“We have ideas,” he said. “But it’s building on the infrastructure Chico’s built through the years. 

“His legacy is unmatched.”

Poull has been a fixture in downtown Port since he and George King purchased the former Janeshek’s on Sept. 1, 1977.

It was a daunting legacy, since Janeshek’s had been one of the most popular bars in downtown, run first by Frank Janeshek and later his son Stanley beginning in 1935. 

Janeshek’s was a place where many of the workers at the city’s industrial plants, including Simplicity, Bolens, Wisconsin Electric and foundries in town, would frequent.

Stanley’s son Stan Jr. recalled in 2013 that his father would go next door to First National Bank and get “a pile of money” on paydays to cash patron’s checks. On Easter, he would color eggs for his customers and on Valentine’s Day he would display a couple cases of candy for men who had forgotten to buy their wives gifts to purchase.

Poull said he and King were working at Freeman Chemical in Saukville when one day during lunch they looked at each other and said, “I’m sick of this.” 

They decided to go into business together, naming the bar for the schooner glasses that had long been used at Janeshek’s and the ships that once plied the waters of the Great Lakes.

Poull said the tavern continued to be frequented by the city’s workers.

“They were all here Fridays after work to have their beer and a shot,” he said. “It was a good crowd.”

But as the large manufacturing facilities closed and the city’s tourism trade gained ground, Poull said the bar evolved as well.

Taking advantage of his lakefront location, Poull first added a patio, then after the weather tore up the awning he closed it for a time. Eventually he added another patio, then he built an enclosed deck off the east side of the building.

It was a quarter-million-dollar investment, Poull said, that reaped benefits, attracting tourists, fishermen and locals.

“It’s been excellent,” he said, noting that the deck usually fills up before the main bar. “I’m glad we did it.”

Business has been up every year for the last 12 years or so,” he said.

Schooner is a popular year-round destination, he said, but especially in winter when the in-floor heating system provides comfort and a spectacular view to patrons.

Through the years, Schooner has flourished, something that’s likely due to a combination of its location and Poull’s laid back, joking personality and business acumen. 

Poull noted that when he and King opened, the two men ran the business with the help of King’s sister Patty and a few part-time workers.

Today, he said, he has 11 full-time employees and about nine part-time workers.

Poull and King ran the bar together for five years, then Poull bought out his partner, who purchased King of the Hill tavern (today The Patio) atop St. Mary’s Hill.

Poull said he wasn’t really looking to sell the business but he and Schwalbe, a longtime friend, had talked generally about the idea for a long time.

He’s going to be 70 in April, Poull said, and it seems like the right time to sell the business and building. 

“Bill seemed like the right person,” Poull said. “Getting someone in with new ideas is good.”

Schwalbe, a business consultant, said he has spent the last 15 years in the business world, although earlier in life he spent a fair amount of time working in the hospitality business.

“I had a desire to get into the hospitality business again,” he said, noting his background will help him in his new venture.

“It’s a big job owning a bar,” he said.

Poull said he will be on hand to help guide him, at least initially.

“I intend to be here a lot,” he said.    

He wants to do more hunting and has promised his wife they would do more traveling, he said.

One thing’s sure, Poull said.

“It’ll be strange not coming in early every day to make soup,” he said, referring to a popular lunchtime menu item.