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June 28, 2023
CALUMET COUNTY – You’d be hard-pressed to meet a Wisconsinite who hasn’t dined at a supper club, let alone one unfamiliar with the concept.
Supper clubs here are seen by many as much of a staple as Green Bay Packers fans.
If you’re in Calumet County, however, your choice of these eateries increases exponentially.
At just under 400 square miles in area, the county has been dubbed the “Supper Club Capital of the Midwest®,” and is home to eight supper clubs.
Another eight are located just outside of the county, bringing the total to 16 supper clubs.
“They’re all different, like fingerprints,” Rick Sense, an economic development & tourism specialist with Calumet County, said. “I can’t remember a bad experience at a supper club, really. It’s a different environment from other types of restaurants.”
For the uninitiated, a supper club is not really a club in the true sense in that no membership is required.
Many know supper clubs to be family-run businesses that serve food made from recipes that have been in the family for generations.
A peek into Calumet County
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Calumet County is home to approximately 52,539 people and includes the towns of Brillion, Brothertown, Charlestown, Chilton, Harrison, New Holstein, Rantoul, Stockbridge and Woodville, as well as a host of unincorporated communities.
It also includes parts of Appleton, Kaukauna, Kiel and Menasha, with Lake Winnebago on its western boundary.
Just a short drive from the Fox Valley and Green Bay, it’s known primarily for its agricultural and manufacturing industries, and includes many family-owned farms.
No one knows for sure why there are so many supper clubs in this small area, but the Travel Calumet website notes “one theory is because the region was settled by men and women who worked hard in the farm fields and needed a ‘night out’ at the end of the week.”
Calumet County Economic Development Director Jason Pausma said supper clubs economically benefit the county.
Pausma said county parks, High Cliff State Park, the Ariens Nordic Center and Lake Winnebago bring in tourists and supper clubs benefit.
“You’re drawing people in from outside the area, and when they’re here, they are also eating and spending (time and money) here,” he said.
Being centrally located, Sense said Calumet County is “easy to get to from Green Bay and Appleton.”
What to expect
A typical supper club visit is leisurely – quite different from a fast-casual restaurant experience.
While the menu options vary from place to place, there are some staples, such as enjoying an Old Fashioned or two at the bar while waiting for a table.
Or in the case of Gobbler’s Knob Supper Club (101 N. Military Rd., Stockbridge), a “Duck Fart,” a bestseller consisting of whiskey, coffee liqueur and Irish cream.
The Duck Fart, which includes whiskey, coffee liqueur and Irish cream, is a bestseller at Gobbler’s Knob Supper Club (101 N. Military Rd., Stockbridge). Submitted Photo
Often, dinner is accompanied by a relish tray, which consists of fresh vegetables, crackers and spreads, pickles and olives.
These are usually self-served from a salad bar, another hallmark of many supper clubs.
“Our salad bar is a big draw for us,” John Roepke of Roepke’s Village Inn Supper Club in Charlesburg said. “It consists of recipes passed down through generations of the Roepke family, such as Kidney Bean Salad, Three Bean Salad and Sauerkraut Salad. Other mainstays are liver pate, potato salad, coleslaw and corn relish. Diners can also build their own salads, choosing from fresh greens, dressings, vegetables and all the fixings.”
John Roepke, of Roepke’s Village Inn Supper Club in Charlesburg, said a visit to a supper club often starts with a stop at the bar while guests wait for a table. Submitted Photo
Bread, soup and entrées follow, sometimes capped with an ice cream drink or dessert.
John, who describes himself as ‘semi-retired,’ has been in the business for 55 years.
His parents purchased the business in 1968 when he was 18.
John said he went off to college but worked at the family’s supper club during the summers and holidays, and then eventually purchased the business himself.
Today, his son and his wife, Jack and Seneca Roepke, are owners.
Other than when they had to close “by decree of the government” during the COVID-19 pandemic, John said, business has been booming – attracting customers for generations.
“We’ve got third-generation customers whose parents brought their kids in the late 1960s,” he said.
In addition to the salad bar, John said Roepke’s specializes in German food, a nod to the town’s German heritage.
John Roepke said Roepke’s Village Inn Supper Club specializes in German food, a nod to the town’s German heritage. Submitted Photo
Serving authentic German food six nights per week, he said a popular favorite is the club’s Wiener Schnitzel a la Holstein, which consists of two tender breaded veal cutlets topped with a fried egg.
David Braun, co-owner/partner of the Altona Supper Club, 2306 Calumet Dr., New Holstein, said one of the reasons supper clubs are so popular and enduring is their patrons like the familiarity a favorite supper club offers.
“They’ve always been a place for family gatherings,” he said. “Years ago, it was the place to go to, and you knew who was going to serve you in a cozy environment. It was a tradition, and the strong ones are still around.”
The Altona, which Braun owns with Jason Hunsader, was built in 1937 and named in honor of the Village of Altona, Germany.
Braun said it has changed hands and evolved over the past 85 years, but for the most part, it sticks to a winning formula: good food, catering and banquets.
“People know what to expect when they come here,” he said. “They know what they’re going to get, and their family and friends in the local area are our servers and employees.”
Cindy Hakkert has owned/managed Gobbler’s Knob since 2022.
Previously a certified nursing assistant, Hakkert said she was a patron of the supper club for many years before she decided a career change was needed.
She said she hasn’t looked back since.
Hakkert said supper clubs appeal to people for a number of reasons.
“I really think people like a nice sit-down meal, and they want to spend some time with the experience,” she said. “A lot of people come here for birthdays and celebrations and there’s that tradition. Supper clubs are definitely not a thing of the past.”
Dale and Virginia Simpson opened The Red Ox Supper Club in May 1974 on American Drive in Neenah.
Owner John Hayes said the banquet room at the Red Ox Seafood & Steakhouse can accommodate large groups. Submitted Photo
In 1994, Dale and Virginia sold the business to their two sons, Tom and Carey Simpson, and John Hayes.
The building burned down in 1995 while the parking lot was being sealed, prompting the establishment’s move to its current location (2318 S. Oneida St., Appleton) in 1996.
Hayes bought out the Simpson brothers in 2010, becoming the club’s sole owner.
He said the Internet age has helped the industry over the years.
“We changed our name from Red Ox Supper Club to Red Ox Seafood & Steakhouse in 2010,” Hayes said. “It was a Google thing. People searched more for steak or seafood than supper clubs back then. It was not a time of resurgence like you see now.”
With 40 employees, he said the business is staffed now better than it has ever been.
“We cater to a younger demographic than we did before 2010,” Hayes said. “But, we are still the Red Ox to a lot of older folks that came in 35 years ago.”
Despite economic challenges, staff shortages and other givens that come with owning a restaurant today, many supper clubs have endured for a few simple reasons.
“I think supper clubs are so popular because they’re family run and oriented toward people and gathering at a supper club is social and people like to be social,” Roepke said.
Supper clubs located in Calumet County:
Altona Supper Club
2306 Calumet Dr., New Holstein
(920) 898-5255
altonasupperclub.com/
Cobblestone Creek Dining & Banquet
740 W. Ryan St., Brillion
(920) 756-3214
cobblestonecrk.com/
Gobbler’s Knob Supper Club
101 N. Military Rd., Stockbridge
(920) 439-1265
gobblersknob.net/
Roepke’s Village Inn
W2686 St. Charles Rd., Charlesburg
(920) 849-4000
roepkesvillageinn.com/
Schmitz Brothers 2
58 S. 8th St., Hilbert
(920) 853-3015
Schwarz’s Supper Club
W1688 Sheboygan Rd., New Holstein
(920) 894-3598
schwarzsupperclub.com/
The Granary Supper Club
N586 Military Rd., Sherwood
(920) 989-1233
granarysupperclub.com/
The Red Ox Seafood & Steakhouse
2318 S. Oneida St., Appleton
(920) 830-4121
redoxseafoodandsteakhouse.com/menu
Supper clubs located just outside Calumet County:
Blanck’s Supper Club – Malone
Cedar Lodge – Malone
Jim & Linda’s Lakeview Supper Club – Malone
Koehring’s Grand Central House – Kiel
Millhome Supper Club – Kiel
George’s Steakhouse – Appleton
Michiel’s Bar & Grill – Menasha
Van Abel’s of Hollandtown – Kaukauna
