Iconic Green Bay establishment celebrates five decades in business

Rich Palzewic

Staff

July 28, 2025

GREEN BAY – An iconic Green Bay establishment celebrated 50 years in business in 2025.

Located at 431 N. Broadway, Lenny’s Tap has been serving thirsty patrons looking for a fun atmosphere since 1975.

“My dad, Bob, bought the bar July 1, 1975, from the Tilkens Family,” Marty Leonhard, who – along with his wife, Treena – co-owns the bar, said. “My wife and I bought it from my dad Feb. 1, 1997. It’s been 50 years of fun, getting to know people and [it] being a place where people can come in and have a good time.”

Leonhard said the 50-year celebration hosted at the bar June 28 went over “extremely” well.

“We had past generations of people come in and others who had never been here to celebrate with us,” he said. “At any given time, we probably had 100 people in here and another 400 outside. We had a band, and it was a great time.”

Leonhard said his dad owned the bar for 21 and a half years, while he and Treena will be 29-year owners next February.

“Lots of stuff has changed over the years,” he said. “I may have worked here for a long time, but it doesn’t mean that I know how to run things better than other establishments. Lenny’s has stood the test of time.”

One thing Leonhard said he is proud of is how safe and welcoming Lenny’s has been for five-plus decades.

“I know other places have daily police calls, but we’ve never been like that,” he said. “Years ago, there was a bar down the street that had about 485 police calls in 18 months – we had three. I’ve worked here since 1979, and I’ve only had to call the police personally three times during that time. That tells you the type of people who frequent Lenny’s. If someone starts acting up, the other people in the bar tell them to knock it off.”

Leonard said part of why the bar has been able to stick around for so long is “I don’t look at other bars as competition – everyone does their own thing.”

“I don’t do things here at Lenny’s simply because other places do it – Lenny’s is Lenny’s,” he said. “People might not like it, but that’s their choice. That’s why there are 180 bars in Brown County. We like to have fun. If you come into Lenny’s twice, half the people know you.”

Leonhard said he doesn’t take himself too seriously, which has contributed to the bar’s longevity.

“Everybody wants to make a dollar, but I’d rather keep the customers happy compared to making that extra dollar,” he said. “I knew I’d never become rich running this place. Some other establishments might not think that way, but I want our people to come back.”

Leonhard said when he and Treena bought the bar in 1997, they had to go before the council and apply for a liquor license.

“They asked, ‘What are you going to do?’” he said. “I told them, ‘I’m going to let Lenny’s be Lenny’s,’ and that’s what I’ve done.”

Lenny’s, Leonhard said, is extra busy during Green Bay Packers season – with people from all over the country visiting.

“Maybe they came in once or saw us on ESPN – from Florida, California, Iowa, the Dakotas,” he said. “They just keep coming back.”

As an example of Lenny’s reach, Leonhard said his brother was in the paint-selling business, and a friend of his was in town for the Kansas City game a few years ago, and he bought a Lenny’s shirt.

“A day or two later, his friend sent my brother a picture of a guy wearing the same shirt in a convenience store in Dallas – that guy was in Green Bay for the game as well,” he said. “They didn’t know each other but happened to be in the convenience store at the same time. I think that’s a pretty nice feather in our cap for just being a small place on the corner [of N. Broadway and Elmore Street].”

Speaking of the NFL, Leonhard said the 2025 NFL Draft held in Green Bay earlier this year was “very good” for Lenny’s.

“Typically, our best day of the year is St. Patrick’s Day,” he said. “During the four days of the draft, I’d say three of the days were comparable to St. Patrick’s Day, and the other day was really good. Some places may not have seen the business, but we sold a ton of hats, T-shirts, etc.”

Now that the draft and the 50-year celebration are in the rearview, Leonard said up next for Lenny’s is the annual corn roast.

“The corn roast takes place on the third Sunday of August,” he said. “This one coming up [Aug. 17] will be the 50th annual. For some people, this is the highlight of their summer. One of our customers from years ago, who has now passed away, ate 27 ears of corn one year. Some people want to try and beat that, but after a dozen, they tap out. This guy could drink beer and eat corn – he was a legend.”

A bit of Lenny’s history

Leonhard said the deed of the property at 431 N. Broadway dates back to 1865.

He said a liquor license was first applied for in 1906.

“Ray Tilkens eventually bought it before his brother, Mike, bought it,” Leonhard said. “Mike was a nice old guy. When I was a kid, he was already ‘old.’ There used to be a bowling alley next door, and he held all the left-handed records. He took care of many people. If someone needed a hand, he would do that.”

Leonhard said, as the story goes, Mike Tilkens even lent a helping hand to Schneider Trucking in its early days.

“I know he helped Al Schneider from Schneider [National], which started operations on North Broadway,” he said. “Maybe Schneider wouldn’t have been so successful starting as they were without Mike’s help.”

Leonhard said his dad was an engineer on the Chicago and North Western Railroad and bartended part-time for the Tilkens for about 10 years.

“I’m not sure of the whole story, but I think Mike went into a nursing home and his brother took over,” he said. “When Mike died, his brother sold it to my dad – that was 1975.”

When Leonhard was a kid, he said he remembers coming into Lenny’s on Sunday mornings.

“There were low-top tables in here, and I’d sit there with a bottle of Bubble Up and some cheese curls and be quiet,” he laughed. “The old-timers would be shooting pool and gabbing. I was once the kid, now I’m the older guy. When I was a kid, there were people aged eight to 80 in here.”

Whereas the inside of the bar has seen a few changes over the years, Leonhard said Lenny’s latest twist is hosting live music.

“The first band we had was Troy Heinz and the 57s,” he said. “We’ve had four or five different bands in the last year or so, and that has drawn quite the crowd. If you had told my dad we were going to have a band here, he’d say, ‘No, you’re not – you’re nuts.’ Live music brings in a different crowd.”

Leonhard said former Packers Coach Mike McCarthy would also frequent Lenny’s Tap. 

“I’d say the coolest guy we’ve had come through is Wright Thompson from ESPN,” he said. “He once shot a video at the bar.” 

Moving forward

Though he hopes Lenny’s will be viable for another 50 years and beyond, the 65-year-old Leonhard said he is already backing off a little in running things.

“My 26-year-old son, John, has plans to buy the business,” he said. “He’s been here – much like I was when I was little – since his younger days. I think he’s easier going than me, and I’m pretty laid back … That’s what you need. The biggest horse’s [butt] in the world might show up here and give you a hard time, but you still have to treat them with respect and dignity.”

As the captain of the Lenny’s Tap ship, years ago, Leonhard said when he wanted to go on vacation, it took him several days to actually leave town.

“Now, if a bunch of us are on a bus to Milwaukee because we are flying to Mexico or Jamaica, by the time I hit the middle of the [Leo Frigo Memorial Bridge], I’m already in vacation mode,” he laughed.

Lenny’s Tap is open seven days a week, 365 days a year – something Leonard said he is proud of.

Hours are 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 2:30 a.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 2:30 a.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 2 a.m. Sunday.

“At one point, Lenny’s had been open 16,322 consecutive days until the COVID-19 pandemic paused the streak for 58 days in 2020,” Leonhard said. “We were open every day from July 1, 1975, until March 17, 2020.” 

For more information, visit Lenny’s Facebook page.