The Nook Micro Venue – where every event, everyone belongs

Rachel Kroeger

Staff

September 7, 2026

DE PERE – The space may be small, but Owner Kelly Lundin said The Nook Micro Venue’s first year in business has been big.

“We have been swamped basically every weekend,” she said. “We’re having anywhere from three to four events every single weekend. Even into next spring, we are booked.”

Though she and her husband, Jessy, didn’t know what to expect for the self-titled “micro venue – that’s what we’re calling ourselves” – Lundin said the business model is proving popular.

“It’s a new concept in the area, and then a new business all around,” she said. “We built it from the ground up, [so] we didn’t even have a name out there.”

Located at 2200 Dickinson Road, Unit 9, in the Olde School Square just outside of De Pere, Lundin said The Nook offers 1,400 square feet of space for any kind of gathering.

“We have one main space [that is] a flex space you can do a lot of different things in,” she said. “We have a small kitchenette area that also doubles as a bar, if someone’s going to have a bar, [with] commercial-grade appliances in there. Then we have two on-site bathrooms, [and] a small, private patio [with] a nice side yard.”

Being “a lot smaller than most venues,” Lundin said bigger isn’t always better when it comes to the financial accessibility of renting an event space.

“We are completely different from any large venue,” she said. “Our concept is very simple, and that was my goal. I wanted it to be fun for myself, my husband and my family, but also affordable for people [as] a whole, simple concept.”

Renting the space by the hour – with rates depending on the day of the week – Lundin said, helps keep things simple for herself and affordable for her customers.

“On weekends, we do have a four-hour minimum at this time, [but] then on weekdays, we don’t have a minimum,” she said. “It’s an hourly rate, [plus] we have a small setup [and] cleanup fee, [because] we do all the major setup and cleanup for our hosts.”

Having hosted baby showers, bridal parties, celebrations of life and even micro weddings in its first year, Lundin said she and Jessy are thrilled people are finding and enjoying the space.

“We’ve had just about everything,” she said. “It’s just fun to see what everyone’s doing with it.”

Accessible, affordable, classy

A native of Marquette, Michigan, Lundin said when she and Jessy married “many moons ago,” it was commonplace for people to host wedding events in their homes or “church basements.”

However, she said one local venue, “a historic Victorian house,” offered her inspiration for what would eventually become The Nook.

“[It was] the Women’s Federated Club[house] up in Michigan,” she said, “and I remember [thinking], ‘Oh, that’d be fun! I should open something like that.’”

Following her time in college – “I got my degree in entertainment and sports promotions with a marketing minor” – Lundin said she entered the hospitality industry.

“I was in hospitality for quite a lot of years,” she said. “Then I was a banquet manager, so it kind of runs in my blood.”

Taking time off to care for her young family, Lundin said she and Jessy decided to move down to Northeast Wisconsin and never left.

“I took many years off to raise my kids in Wisconsin,” she said. “I just love the area of Olde School Square.”

Living down the road from the De Pere neighborhood, Lundin said when a lot became available, she promptly went home and told Jessy they were going to buy it – having never forgotten her hometown inspiration.

“I went home to my husband [and said], ‘Hey, Jessy, we’re going to buy this lot, and we’re going to build a micro venue,” she said. “He looked at me, shook his head, and said, ‘Okay, let’s do it.’”

Though she knew “it was a risk,” Lundin said she had “a really good feeling” about opening The Nook in the Greater Green Bay area.

“Yes, there are lots of venues – beautiful venues – but not [many] can market [itself as] and stay affordable, small and intimate,” she said.

Closing on the property just after New Year’s 2025, Lundin said she got to work building the micro venue from scratch.

“Working with [the Town of] Ledgeview [on] civil engineering aspect, I actually did a lot of that, which helped me save money, but it was a stressful process,” she said. “We had a great builder who helped me along the way to cut costs, [because], again, the whole goal [was] to try to make this… classy but not go overboard, so I can still keep it affordable for people.”

Though Ledgeview was at capacity for Class A liquor licenses at the time, Lundin said they were able to obtain Class B and C licenses for The Nook.

“So, we can serve any type of beer, wine, a lot of seltzers and champagne,” she said. “We can do fun champagne spritzers. So, there are a variety of items.”

If hosts request to have a bar at their event, Lundin said The Nook has licensed bartenders available to step in and serve.

Otherwise, she said hosts should not expect her or her staff on-site the day of their event, giving them free rein of the space to celebrate as they please.

“We aren’t here during events unless you’re having a bar service,” she said. “Once there’s a bar service, then we have to have our bartender or [another] certified bartender here.”

Lundin said her choice not to staff the venue for events is another cost-saving measure – benefiting both the business and its customers.

“If someone comes in and they rent it for a baby shower, we don’t sit here [with them],” she said. “That’s how we can keep our prices affordable.”

However, Lundin said they are always in close proximity if needed.

“It’s nice [because] it’s right down the road from us, so it’s super convenient,” she said. “I can just buzz down if someone needs to jump in real quick and take a look. It’s perfect for us.”

‘Everyone is welcome’

Beyond the typical use cases of a venue, Lundin said photographers, fitness trainers and even other business owners have rented the space for projects, photo shoots, classes and more.

“I have a photographer coming in,” she laughed. “It can double as a yoga studio – really, just honestly anything.”

Seeing the myriad of reasons people have sought out The Nook, Lundin said, has been a treat for her and Jessy.

“I think we already have 200-plus events on the books in less than a year, so it’s been great,” she said.

As The Nook approaches its anniversary this coming fall, Lundin said they’re also humbled by the community’s support of their local, family-owned business.

“We just want to be accommodating to our guests, and we’re super grateful the community has trusted us,” she said. “Our goal is to make it feel like a neighborhood… Everyone is welcome.”

For more on The Nook Micro Venue, visit its Facebook page or thenookdepere.com.