Batley’s Grill & Bar upgrades aim to better serve guests, team

Rich Palzewic

Staff

February 9, 2026

NEENAH – To provide a more comfortable experience for guests and staff accessing the Joe Bowers Room, General Manager Ryan Batley said Batley’s Grill & Bar recently upgraded the area surrounding the private party space. 

The Business News first reported on initial facility upgrades and a rebrand at Batley’s Grill & Bar – which is connected to the Best Western Premier Bridgewood Resort Hotel and Conference Center in Neenah – in the Nov. 28, 2023 issue.

The most recent improvements, which Ryan said are intended to enhance year-round use, include new concrete, an awning and a sidewall.

“Everything matters in the hospitality business,” he said. 

A better experience 

After selling the golf course, Ryan said they were left considering how to repurpose the space.

“We eventually had the idea to turn the former pro shop into the Joe Bowers Room,” he said. “It’s a private party room that’s an extension of the restaurant we operate.”

Ryan said the Joe Bowers Room – named after the former golf pro – is perfect for rehearsal dinners, bridal showers, celebrations of life, etc.

“It’s for that 30- to 40-person event,” he said. “It’s a bit more casual, where you can order off the menu but still have that private space.”

In the warmer months, Ryan said guests of the Joe Bowers Room have access to the playground, tether ball, a basketball hoop and other games outside.

“Guests can utilize that with the reservation of the space, and being that the room is fully enclosed and private, that’s available all year long,” he said.

The most recent improvements, Ryan said, were geared toward making the party room more comfortable during Wisconsin’s cold winters.

“There is a walking space between the Patty Shack Pavilion and the Joe Bowers Room,” he said. “Guests and our team enter and access those spaces from the sports lounge door. In the winter months, when we had those private parties there and had guests sitting in the bar or the booths right by the door, it got very cold.”

To combat this, Ryan said they poured new concrete and added the awning and sidewall.

“It wasn’t only cold for the guests to access but for our team to run food out – it really affected the temperature in the bar,” he said. “That concrete walking path was pretty uneven, so this past summer, we chipped out the old concrete and poured new stuff. It’s much smoother now.”

Ryan said the experience is much nicer now that the area is enclosed and out of the elements.

“We put a few heaters in there to help minimize the impact in the bar and for guests and our employees going to the Joe Bowers Room,” he said.

Ryan said they didn’t necessarily hear guests complaining about the cold in the bar or having to access the party room, but they wanted to be proactive in their thinking.

“When you see people putting their jackets on when they’re sitting at the bar stools right there, or not wanting to sit at booths, we knew we had to do something about that,” he said. “I felt we needed to take care of our team members who are serving both the private room and the guests as well. It’s going to be a more comfortable environment and access point.”

Ryan said the Joe Bowers Room used to close in the winter.

“There really wasn’t a need until we transitioned that space into what it is now,” he said. “After a couple of years of having that space available and having people book it in the winter months, this was just the next step to make that space more enjoyable and usable all year long.”