A place for pancakes, people – The Pancake Place earns state recognition

Rachel Kroeger

Staff

October 6, 2025

GREEN BAY – The Pancake Place in Green Bay (143 Military Ave.) was recently recognized for its lasting impact on the community.

Owner Theresa Barlament received a commemorative plaque from State Rep. Ryan Spaude and State Sen. Jamie Wall, honoring the restaurant’s contributions to the local economy and culture.

Barlament said she and her husband, Kevin, have owned and operated the restaurant since 2007 with their team of 30, “highly experienced wait and kitchen staff,” as well as their two children.

“This is such an incredible honor for our team and our family,” she said. “I received an email from Spaude’s office. I read it, then I reread it, and I [thought], ‘Oh, what an honor.’ I was tickled pink and felt very grateful for the recognition.”

A Green Bay native, Barlament said her professional experience with The Pancake Place extends far beyond the years she’s spent as its proud owner-operator.

“I went to Green Bay West High School, and The Pancake Place was my first job at age 14 – I was their prep cook,” she said. “I peeled potatoes at the age of 14 and kind of worked my way out to the front of the dining room.”

From the ages of 18 to 24, Barlament said she managed The Pancake Place, but after she and Kevin married, she left to find a job that didn’t require her to work nights and weekends.

“We were open at nighttime then,” she said. “So, I worked in logistics at Birdseye [Dairy] for 10 years, right here in Green Bay, and then they moved our positions to New York. So, I thought, ‘Well, now what am I going to do?’”

The answer to that question, Barlament said, was found in her roots at The Pancake Place.

“Because I had worked [at the restaurant] for so long, I knew the owners,” she said. “I stopped in in March [of that year] – I still remember – and said, ‘If you’re ever thinking about selling, let me know.’ They called the next day, and we took over in June.”

Before leaving The Pancake Place at age 24, Barlament said the previous owner approached her regarding a partnership – making her return as its owner even more appropriate.

“There was a little bit of conversation with the previous owner about becoming partners, and it just didn’t work out at that time,” she said. “That’s when I decided to move on and try something different. But I had told my husband when our [Birdseye] jobs moved to New York, [I said], ‘I’m going to go back and talk to The Pancake Place, and we’re going to own it.’”

Now, 18 years later, Barlament said The Pancake Place is being rightfully recognized not only for her nearly two decades at the helm, but its overall 47 years of service to the Green Bay community.

“To be recognized at the state level for that commitment means the world to us,” she said.

Landmark notoriety

Also a Green Bay-area native and regular patron of The Pancake Place, Spaude said the restaurant’s decades-long presence in the community led him to pursue this honor on its behalf.

“It doesn’t happen every day that we have a business like The Pancake Place that wins awards year after year,” he said. “I realized, ‘Wow, not only do I love coming here and they win awards year after year, but there’s a really incredible story here’ – a story about small businesses, family and supporting the local community.”

This type of recognition by the Wisconsin State Legislature, Wall said, is reserved for local individuals, leaders and establishments “who’ve done something special in the community.”

“Clearly, this is a place that’s part of the fabric of the west side [of Green Bay],” he said. “People have been here after their high school prom, [or have] rolled in [to nurse] their hangover on Saturday morning [or to] have a wholesome family breakfast with their kids, too. So, this has been here for a long time, and we hope it’s here for a long time to come.”

While campaigning for his seat in the Wisconsin State Legislature last year, Spaude said he noticed people would use The Pancake Place as a community landmark – reemphasizing its longstanding importance to the Green Bay area.

“I remember when I was campaigning last fall, knocking doors, and people [would] describe where they live – their neighborhood, the street or ‘I live near The Pancake Place,’” he said. “That’s [how] people referenced where they live or work, and that’s an important distinction.”

Prioritizing community from the inside out

Kevin said the restaurant’s cultural worth has been earned through the hard work of Barlament, himself and their family – making The Pancake Place’s recent recognition all the more sweet and savory, just like its menu.

“You’re working 364 days a year, 80 hours a week to build the business, to establish yourself and to make a mark in the community to get an award like this for all the effort that you put in,” he said.

Barlament’s daughter, Sami, who was present with her brother, Ethan, at the designation, said for people close to the restaurant’s operations, the award means a great deal after having put in so much effort firsthand.

“It’s awesome,” she said. “We’ve seen the blood, sweat and tears that have gone into this place, so I think it hits more for us probably than an outsider looking in at it.”

Community give-back, Barlament said, has been an important facet of The Pancake Place’s business since she and Kevin took ownership – because without its patrons, the restaurant wouldn’t be what it is today.

“I am a firm believer in giving back to the community that supports my family business,” she said. “[We participate in] any fundraisers [we can], we feed the homeless shelter a couple times a year – we just truly believe in giving back.”

Barlament said The Pancake Place’s “loyal” crew is the magic behind the restaurant earning this state-level accolade.

“It’s easy when they do such a great job for you,” she said. “I’ve always believed in treating my employees as well as I treat my guests, and that way, they know they’re appreciated.”

Though the role of owner involves a myriad of tasks, Barlament said being in front of the house and serving customers with her team will always be her favorite job at The Pancake Place.

“I’d much rather be out helping the team than sitting behind my desk doing my paperwork,” she said. “My team of 30 is amazing. I can’t say enough good things about them, [because] they make it a really fun environment. I’m really proud to lead that team.”

For more on The Pancake Place, including its menu and hours of operation, visit its website, eatpancakeplace.com.