The Sawbuck set to reopen in ‘Land O’ following refresh

Meghan Diemel

Contributor

May 11, 2026

LAND O’ LAKES – The Sawbuck in Land O’ Lakes is set to reopen this month following a brief April closure for renovations at its 4270 County Road B location.

Owners Bill and Brittany Clark said they are preparing to welcome customers back for the summer season, with upgraded equipment and a refreshed layout aimed at expanding offerings of muffins, cookies, turnovers, cake donuts, coffee and more.

The Clarks said the micro bakery opened in 2021 after they purchased the business, which previously operated as a garden center and coffee shop.

As demand for landscaping materials shifted and costs rose, Bill said the greenhouse portion became less sustainable, leading to its transition into a bakery-focused operation.

At the same time, Bill said they began expanding coffee shop offerings, with Brittany starting to bake muffins that quickly gained popularity.

He said the muffins quickly grew in popularity, and Brittany even entered them in the Vilas County Fair, where they were well received.

From there, Bill said the business continued to grow, taking on a slightly different direction than originally envisioned.

“The muffins started getting more and more popular, and next thing we knew, we were selling more muffins than anything else,” he said. “And from there, we started calling ourselves a micro bakery. We [had] small convection ovens, a small space – nowhere near the capacity for a full-blown bakery, but Brittany’s done an awesome job making the limited space, the limited resources, work.” 

Bill said Brittany’s cake decorating has become a draw of its own, with customers looking for her work specifically.

“[She] started doing weddings and [other special events], and next thing we knew, [the bakery] was the No. 1 draw of the business,” he said.

Following their hearts back to ‘LandO’ 

The Clarks said the Sawbuck name pays homage to both the area’s logging history and local mobster-era lore.

A sawbuck, Bill said, is an X-shaped frame used to hold wood steady while cutting.

The term, he said, was also slang for a $10 bill during Prohibition, referencing the Roman numeral “X” that appeared on currency.

Today, Bill said the bakery has become a popular stop for baked goods in “LandO,” as locals call the town along the Wisconsin-Michigan border, about 25 minutes north of Eagle River.

And he said it’s not just The Sawbuck that’s drawing people to the area.

Bill said longtime visitors to the Northwoods may be noticing a renewed energy and growing interest in Land O’ Lakes.

Businesses such as the Forest Lake Café and Wine Cellar, the Local Press Deli, The Twilight Supper Club, Sunrise Lodge and others, he said, are helping bring positive attention back to the area, giving visitors more reasons to stop and stay awhile.  

Bill and Brittany said they attribute that rise in visibility in part to a group of millennials giving entrepreneurship a try and investing back into the community, including businesses in the food and beverage industry and in health and wellness. 

“I think a big part of it is a younger generation coming into their own and making a go at it,” he said. “When I was a kid, Land O’ Lakes was doing really well. It was a big town. It was a tourist destination. We had [around] five antique stores – it was like a pilgrimage place for antiquers.” 

And then, Bill said, the recession hit in the early 2000s, and like so many small towns, LandO really struggled.

“The big lumber mill that used to employ a lot of people closed, and it’s taken a while for things to kind of bounce back,” he said.

The Clarks said their own journey into entrepreneurship was born out of the desire to make their mark in a region that held a lifelong place in their hearts – with Bill growing up visiting Watersmeet, Michigan; and Brittany spending time at her grandparents’ home in Three Lakes. 

Prior to settling in Land O’ Lakes, Bill said Brittany worked in child support enforcement for Ozaukee County and was experiencing burnout – while he was employed at a microbrewery in Port Washington, where he helped guide its growth and expansion but began feeling drawn to creating something of his own.

Bill said entrepreneurship offered a chance for them to pursue their own goals and vision without limits.

“When we moved back up here, I was working in fine dining,” he said. “I’ve been in the service industry my whole life – bartending, waiting, all that fun stuff.”

In the years leading up to their purchase, Bill said the garden center and coffee shop performed well, even during the COVID-19 years.

“They took some reasonable steps to keep people safe, and I think a lot… of people really appreciated that,” he said. “So, as 2020 was winding down, they were selling, and we were looking for something new for our next step. Things seemed like they were on the upswing.”

Of course, hindsight 2020 as it is, Bill said establishing a brand-new customer-facing business in early 2021 was going to bring a continued set of challenges due to the lingering pandemic.

Working with investors, the Clarks said they also put their own resources into the business and initially kept the greenhouse operation going.

Bill said they experimented with adding Vienna hot dogs to the food offerings, though the idea didn’t catch on.

Instead, Brittany’s muffins quickly gained popularity and ultimately helped steer the business in a new direction.

“When the hot dogs and the greenhouse weren’t working out, it [was] either adapt or die,” he said.

Rotating menu inspired by nostalgia

Brittany said she is continually developing new and unique flavors for customers, leaning into the micro bakery niche with a focus on both indulgent baked goods and diet-friendly options that still deliver bold flavor.

The revolving menu options – which include vegan and/or gluten-free goods most of the year – she said, seem to keep customers engaged and coming back.

Brittany said the micro-bakery approach also allows her to make the most of the space available at The Sawbuck – giving her room to produce customer favorites and special requests, while also testing new and creative flavor ideas, without the production demands of a high-volume, traditional bakery.

She said her inspiration comes from a range of sources, including her grandmother’s old cookbook, vintage cookbooks from the 1930s and ’40s and handwritten recipes.

Brittany said she also keeps an eye on current trends.

When interest in supper clubs and brandy old-fashioneds reemerged, she said she leaned into it – adding her own creative twist to the classic cocktail flavor.

“I was making brandy old-fashioned-[flavored] cupcakes and cookies for a while,” she said. “I was offering a ‘spirited’ cookie box during the holidays, which [included] the pink squirrel cookie, Moscow mule, grasshopper [and] chocolate martini cookie.” 

Brittany said she enjoys browsing older cookbooks and seeing what recipes were popular in past eras.

“That’s what I like doing as the baker,” she said. “I like bringing old recipes back to life that people may have forgotten about from their grandparents, like peanut squares… It’s really fun to kind of resurrect these recipes, because people don’t really bake like that anymore.”

Brittany said her baked goods are now officially award-winning, earning multiple honors at the 2026 Wisconsin Food and Hospitality Expo, including a silver medal for her brandy old-fashioned cake donut; a bronze medal and Judges’ Choice award for her deep-dish sour cream apple pie; and a bronze medal for cinnamon cake donuts in the Classic Cake category. 

“To come away with awards like that is really, really exciting,” Bill said.

Relishing the opportunity to serve the community

Optimistic about both the future of The Sawbuck and of LandO, the Clarks said they are looking forward to what the summer of 2026 brings.

Bill said the updated space now features a new bakery case, a commercial mixer – replacing the countertop KitchenAid they received as a wedding gift – a full-sized oven, a commercial dishwasher, expanded seating and open areas for customers.

The next goal, he said, is to add more permanent outdoor seating for those peak summer and fall days in the Northwoods that many visitors enjoy.

Brittany said customers hoping to secure their favorite Sawbuck treats are encouraged to reach out in advance.

Even if an item isn’t currently on the menu or hasn’t been made before, she said she is open to exploring requests and developing new flavors.

Likewise, Brittany said customers with dietary restrictions looking for specific flavors or styles of baked goods – whether gluten-free or vegan – are encouraged to contact the bakery.

“The No. 1 piece of advice I would have to [customers], if you have questions, [is to] give us a call, or shoot us a message on Facebook,” Bill said.

The Sawbuck’s current operating hours and latest menu offerings, he said, are also available on Facebook.