‘A small-town liquor store with a big-city selection’

Rich Palzewic

Staff

May 19, 2025

WAUPUN – The Wild Boar – which was established in downtown Waupun in 2008 – is under new ownership.

The liquor store, located at 814 Main St., carries a large selection of wines, beers, bourbons, vodkas, tequilas and more, including a selection of non-alcoholic (NA) options.

“It’s a great time to be in Waupun, that’s for sure,” new Owner Travis Pitz said. “We’re excited to be here. We’re part of the former owner’s family, so this opportunity presented itself when he wanted to retire. I really enjoy the wine, liquor and beer business, so it was a great fit for me.”

Pitz said he and his wife, Jocelynn, bought the location last December from Mike Maly.

To officially welcome the Pitzs as new owners, Envision Greater Fond du Lac hosted a ribbon cutting at the store late last month.

“I think Waupun is experiencing a lot of new businesses and growth – we definitely have a great community here,” Pitz said. “I’m not originally from the area, but I’ve spent some time near Waupun, and my wife is originally from here.”

Describing The Wild Boar in simple terms, Pitz said “we’re a small-town liquor store with a big-city selection.”

“We have a lot of options for all types of drinkers, as well as non-drinkers, too,” he said. “We’re really growing our NA category and taking advantage of innovations there. That way, if people are looking for a healthier or non-alcoholic option, we’ve got NA beers, wines and liquor to meet their needs.”

A bit of a ‘wild’ history

Pitz said the original location of the store was first called Jim’s Package Store (owned by Jim Towers) before getting converted into a liquor store.

He said it was eventually sold to Mike Rechek, who changed the name to The Wild Boar.

“After that, Mike eventually sold it to another Mike – Mike Maly,” Pitz said. “I think that was in about 2014. When Mike (Maly) bought it, he changed the name to Mike’s Wild Boar.”

Pitz said when he and his wife bought the liquor store late last year, they decided to only make a small adjustment to the name.

“When I bought it, it seemed like a good tradition to keep going, so I renamed it The Wild Boar as a nod to its heritage,” he said.

Pitz said there’s also a story behind the name of the liquor store.

“As I mentioned, Mike Rechek was the one who named it The Wild Boar,” he said. “Mike’s brother owned the Piggly Wiggly grocery store in Beaver Dam, and everyone called it Rechek’s Piggly Wiggly. For a while, he actually wanted to call the grocery store The Wild Boar, so he bought a boar’s head and had it up in the store, but the name didn’t really stick.”

Pitz said when Rechek purchased Jim’s Package Store, he asked his brother if he could name it The Wild Boar.

“Of course, his brother said ‘yes,’” he said. “From there, they took the boar down from the Piggly Wiggly and moved it here to Waupun and put it up in the store. We still have the boar’s head up here on the wall – we’re keeping that heritage going.”

Continued momentum

Pitz said both Rechek and Maly “did an amazing job building the business,” staying ahead of innovations and evolving with trends.

He said the foundation they established has been great to build on now as the new owners.

“I don’t want to change a lot, because I feel the business was already catering to the community – great selections, a bright store, clean floors, building relationships, etc.,” he said. “We were able to retain the entire staff, so people are seeing the same faces and have the same relationships – we’re just building on that. Our employees know our customers and what their needs and wants are.”

Currently, Pitz said The Wild Boar has eight employees, including himself.

However, like any new owner would do, he said he’s also trying to improve on some things – which includes more than simply expanding the options.

“Yes, we are expanding the NA category, introducing THC and Delta-9 products to the community, expanding our wine selection and bringing in some different bourbons,” he said. “But really, though, it’s all about building that foundation and doing some new things without losing any of our true identity.”

Pitz said customers will also see more of a social media presence compared to the past.

“We definitely want to stay ahead of the trends,” he said. “If we’re behind where the market is, we’re not winning. We’re always looking to get out in front of our guests.”

Using his platform

Pitz said now that he and his wife own The Wild Boar, it also gives them an opportunity to give back to the community that supports them.

A few weeks ago, he said the liquor store took part in Cheers to Spring, an event/fundraiser that raised funds for the local animal shelter.

“The Waupun Area Animal Shelter also had a brat fry on site, and 100% of those proceeds – and then some raffle items – went to the animal shelter,” Pitz said. “Inside, to draw more traffic and introduce some new products, we picked select items throughout the store that were kind of fun and funky animal-related… and all the profits from those sales that day went to the animal shelter as well. In all, we were able to raise $1,440 for the animal shelter. We’re looking to do that Cheers to Spring event every year.”

Pitz said the animal shelter has committed to doing the event yearly.

“It was such a win for them,” he said. “We’re looking to grow that event as well. We also recently had the (Country Roads) ATV(/UTV) Club do a brat fry, so that was a great way for them to raise some money over two days. We also worked with our vendors to support sampling during that event, so people could sample some different things while also supporting the ATV club.”

Pitz said giving back is important to both him and Jocelynn.

“When we looked at purchasing the location, family and fun were very important to us,” he said. “We wanted to give back and serve the community that is shopping at our store and supporting us. We focus a lot on Waupun, but we also spread out to the surrounding areas in different ways.”

Speaking of his wife, Pitz said “she keeps me grounded.”

“She definitely supports me,” he said. “She truly is the one who reminds me to take every day with a grain of salt, and also remember it’s about having fun and being in the moment.”

The Wild Boar is open seven days a week from 8:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.

For more information, visit thewildboarwi.com or find it on Facebook.