Northstar Lanes to hit the road with food truck business

Judith Munson

Contributor

April 13, 2026

ANTIGO – Northstar Lanes is bringing the flavor to the lanes.

The Antigo bowling alley has acquired All Sauced Up – a food truck famed for its award-winning barbecue – as Co-owner and General Manager Brian Mattmiller said it pivots to a “food-first” entertainment destination.

Mattmiller said the move reflects a broader shift at Northstar Lanes.

“Our business is not just a bowling alley, but a restaurant, bar and banquet hall,” he said. “We have room to add catering also. We always strive to be involved in the community, so we needed a way to become a little more mobile. We were also outgrowing our existing facility and kitchen.”

Mattmiller said the new venture will operate under the name All Sauced Up-Northstar Lanes on the Road. 

“We talked with Terry and Linda Leffel, who were the owners of All Sauced Up, and they were looking to retire, to kind of pull back,” he said. “We decided to purchase their business and all of the equipment that came with it, including a lot of storage – things that will help our current facility.” 

Mattmiller said the All Sauced Up truck has built a strong local following, often appearing at events and even traveling as far as Wausau and Tomahawk.

“It’s a successful business, so we’re expecting a pretty smooth transition,” he said.

With bowling traffic slowing in the summer, Mattmiller said the food truck was a natural addition to the business. 

“One of the toughest things we had to deal with when we first bought the place was business consistency in the summer,” he said. “Everyone wants to be on the lake, at the cottage, at the ballpark – all these other places, and now we’re able to travel and follow the summer crowds.”

Though the truck’s peak season runs from March to November, Mattmiller said it will still provide catering services during the winter months.

All Sauced Up-Northstar Lanes on the Road, he said, made its debut last month at Swiderski Equipment’s customer appreciation day.

“This is the company that I used to work for before we bought Northstar Lanes, so it’s really cool to come full circle and have this event as our coming-out party,” he said.

Strike up the flavor

Mattmiller said he and his wife, Kristen – along with business partners Trevor and Karen McCarthy – purchased Northstar Lanes in August 2022.

Since then, he said they have invested heavily in updating the facility and enhancing the restaurant, embracing a “food-first” approach to the business.

“We have really focused on food here to give people another reason to come, whether it’s for a good burger or one of our specialty items,” he said. “We really put a lot of money into it – whether it was maintenance or cleaning the place up. They come there for our food first now. And then, grab a drink and maybe bowl a game with the kids.”

Mattmiller said the “food-first” focus helped pave the way for their expansion into the food truck business.

“We actually do brisket and pulled pork already in our building, and we’re going to transition those menu items and a few others into the food truck,” he said. “Mac and cheese will be a huge focus. It’s something that goes with everything.”

Mattmiller said the truck will also act as a testing ground for new menu items for the bowling alley’s restaurant.

Mattmiller said their food truck calendar is already filling up, which works perfectly as the busy bowling season, running from September through April, begins to wind down.

At the same time, he said Northstar Lanes is highlighting shareable menu items, including nachos, tater tot platters and pizzas unique to the alley.

“We’re doing more nachos and tater tot platters,” he said. “Our pizzas are unlike anything else offered in town. We’re always trying to stay ahead of changing tastes and checking out innovative ideas or different ideas that I might see when traveling to other cities.” 

From customer to employee to co-owner

Mattmiller said, for him, becoming a co-owner of Northstar Lanes – which began in the mid-1970s and moved to its current location in 2000 – is like coming home.

His passion for Northstar Lanes, he said, started long before working there – as a customer, and a very small one at that.

“I’ve been bowling since I was three years old,” he said. “As lifelong residents of Antigo, we have been coming here as customers for a long time.”

Mattmiller said his bowling career highlights include achieving the highest average in the state for the 2019-20 season – the first time a bowler from North Central Wisconsin earned that distinction.

His bowling career highlights include having the highest bowling average in the state for the 2019-20 bowling season, marking the first time someone from central Wisconsin earned that title. 

Mattmiller said his ties to Northstar Lanes go beyond the lanes themselves, having worked for the previous owners when the current building opened in 2000.

“I did everything from washing dishes when I was 15 years old to fixing pin jams, running the fryers and cooking burgers and pizzas,” he said.

Later, Mattmiller said he also spent time working banquets and behind the bar at the bowling alley.

“That was my high school and college job,” he said. “I loved it.”

Today, Mattmiller said his passion for bowling is shared by his family, including his wife – an avid bowler herself – and their children. 

“Our daughter, who just turned nine, has qualified for the Youth Adult State Tournament with my wife,” he said. “And our middle son, who’s seven – he’s pretty well known in the bowling community. He shot a 199 when he was six.” 

Community first

As a staple of the Antigo community, Mattmiller said Northstar Lanes continually looks for ways to give back.

The alley, he said, donates its banquet space to local groups and businesses for meetings, demonstrating it can accommodate larger gatherings.

Since purchasing the business, Mattmiller said staff has grown from 16 employees to nearly 40 full- and part-time team members.

Ownership visibility, he said, remains a priority – “which involves me being there daily” – while his wife and the other owners help out whenever possible alongside their other jobs.

Though league participation has declined nationally and many establishments are shifting focus to casual bowlers, Mattmiller said league play at Northstar Lanes remains strong. 

“The youth bowling program in Antigo is one of the best in the state, if not the Midwest or even the United States,” he said. “Our program is incredibly deep and strong and competitive. They’ve made multiple high school state championship appearances, taking second or third the last four years. The youth leagues are really successful, and they’ve won a lot of titles.”

Mattmiller said youth programs are a major focus for Northstar Lanes, with significant investment devoted to supporting them.

“They bowl for free all summer,” he said. “Practices are free. We charge minimally for our youth leagues, and I take care of them with our pro shop, offering things at cost for the kids.”

In addition to investing in youth programs, Mattmiller said Northstar Lanes hosts an annual city bowling tournament that awards $4,000 in scholarships.

Supporting youth bowlers, he said, helps build future league participation, while also giving the business an opportunity to spotlight its restaurant, bar and event facilities.

“No matter the sport – not just bowling – we get a big crowd who are looking for a burger or a beer after the game,” he said.

Mattmiller said Northstar’s commitment to the community has been returned tenfold, as neighbors and local supporters have rallied around their youngest child, Walter, who has been battling leukemia since age two with treatment and checkups requiring frequent trips to Madison. 

Since completing treatment, Mattmiller said Walter has been doing well and is “kind of starting to be a kid a lot more.”

Rolling forward

Since taking over ownership in 2022, Mattmiller said Northstar Lanes has seen steady growth.

Their efforts to raise the alley’s profile in the community – along with his support for youth and senior bowling programs – he said, earned him an Award of Excellence from the Bowling Centers Association of Wisconsin.

Mattmiller said the upcoming debut of the All Sauced Up-Northstar Lanes on the Road truck will bring the alley’s food-first vision directly to the community. 

“We’ve booked so much already this summer,” he said. “We’ll be at businesses, events – all the places where you find food trucks, that’s for sure.”