Steve Cahalan: New Culvers, Big Boar BBQ are planned

Look for a Culvers restaurant to open in September at the former Happy Joes Pizza location in Onalaska.

And for Big Boar BBQ to open a sit-down restaurant in August at the current site of its cookshack parked along Hwy. 16 in West Salem.

Earlier this month, J2EG Custard LLC, owned by various members of the Galen Bowe family, bought the former Happy Joes building at 835 Oak Ave. S., off Hwy. 35 in Onalaska. It has been vacant since September 2012.

The building will be remodeled and enlarged, as its slightly smaller than a typical Culvers, said Galen Bowes son, Jake Bowe, one of the owners of the new Onalaska restaurant.

It will be the 10th Culvers either entirely or partly owned by different combinations of Bowe family members.

We thought it would be a good location for us, Jake said. Theres a lot of traffic and its in a different part of town than the other Onalaska Culvers, which also is owned by Bowe family members. Construction is expected to begin in June, he said.

The new Culvers will seat nearly 100 people and probably will have 40 to 50 employees, Jake said.

Jerry and Donna Beyer started their Big Boar BBQ business in 2010. Since then, theyve been serving up Southern-style barbecue from spring through fall at a cookshack trailer parked along Commerce Street, near their Beyer Cabinets business in West Salem.

They bought a second cookshack last year and use it to serve their barbecue at fundraisers, county fairs and other special events.

Weve had customers who wanted (Big Boar barbecue) year-round, Jerry said of his and Donnas decision to open a sit-down restaurant. Construction began several days ago, and the restaurant should open sometime in August, he said. It will seat about 48 people and probably will have eight or nine employees, he added.

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Steve Cahalan: New Culvers, Big Boar BBQ are planned