Discussion/Action regarding a Conditional Use Permit petition for property located at 1872 STH 175 (Tax Key: V10_030000Z) to operate a "sit-down restaurant" in the B-5 zoning district, Sobelman's Pub and Grill.
While the board approved the permit it is just as important for you to read the letter Al and Nancy Hochmuth submitted to the board and all Richfield residents.
Let's Welcome Al and Nancy to Richfield.
My name is Al Hochmuth, and I'm here tonight to speak on behalf of my wife Nancy and I in our desire to open the first ever, franchised location of Sobelman's Pub & Grill, here in the village of Richfield. Most of you are probably aware of Sobelman's, but for those that aren't, let me give you a quick history of this iconic Milwaukee-based restaurant chain. Dave and Melanie Sobelman opened their first location in 1999 in one of the original Schlitz taverns at 19th and St. Paul in Milwaukee. Since then, they have opened two more locations — one on the Marquette campus (about half a mile away from the original location) and their third location in Mequon when they bought the old Centennial Bar & Grille and converted it to a Sobelman's in 2015. In addition, there is another franchise location opening in Waukesha before the end of this year. Sobelman's is known for their gourmet burgers and their iconic Bloody Mary's. The bars are full service sports themed bars with TV's broadcasting sports programming whenever possible. The menu is very moderately priced with all single burgers and chicken sandwiches, as well as all other sandwiches and entrees, priced under $10. A couple out for lunch or dinner can easily get plenty to eat and each have a drink and spend less than $40 including the tip.
Sobelman's is also known for their iconic Bloody Mary's. The basic Bloody Mary (called the Classic) sells for under $10 and includes an astonishing 12 garnishes as well as a chaser of beer. There are various other varieties of Bloody Mary's that not only include the standard garnishes, but that also have skewers of different appetizers as garnishes. The king of the Bloody Mary's is the Bloody Beast. It's a super-sized Bloody Mary big enough for multiple people to share, and it not only includes all of the garnishes and multiple skewers of different appetizers, but it also includes a WHOLE deep fried chicken on a skewer! To our knowledge, no one else in the world does Bloody Mary's quite like Sobelman's.
Two of the things that Dave and Melanie Sobelman are known for are their desire to patronize local businesses and suppliers, and to give back to the local community. I have two examples to share with you. As of today, at the NorthShore location in Mequon, there are 10 different beers on tap. All 10 of those beers are brewed here in Wisconsin. I've already had discussions with a brand new micro-brewery in Milwaukee called Third Space Brewing. I plan on initially devoting two of my taps to two of their beers. My second example relates to the giving nature of the Sobelmans. Dave and Melanie hold a fundraiser for some group at their Marquette location about once a week. To that end, Nancy and I plan on being active participants in the local community. We are fully aware of Richfield Days, and hope that we will be a part of that. We also hope that we will be able to sponsor some athletic teams, especially youth teams.
I'd like to close with some background on both Nancy and myself. Nancy and I have been married for 25 years and we've lived in the same home in Germantown since 1999. Our oldest daughter graduated from Whitewater last December with a degree in elementary education, and she now has her own 5th grade class in the New Berlin School District. Our middle daughter is a senior at Winona State where she is pursuing a degree in athletic training. Our son is a senior at Germantown High School and plans to attend UW-Madison for a degree in business. Nancy is the President of a company in Brookfield started by her father. She runs the company along with her brother and her father. I have been a stay-at-home Dad for about 15 years. I have also been a multi-sport official since the mid-1990's. I've also been running my own umpire assigning business for the last 10 years. I have become the largest private assigner of baseball and softball umpires in the Midwest, with 400 umpires that get some of their games through my service. I am in the process of selling my umpire assigning business so that I can devote my attention to running our restaurant. Before I was a stay-at-home Dad, my career involved point of sales systems for restaurants. My last "real" job was at the corporate office for Cousins Subs in Menomonee Falls handling all of the POS systems for every Cousins Subs in the country. My 2 decades of dealing with the hospitality industry are what has given me the drive and desire to partner with one of the most successful brands out there — Sobelman's.
Thanks again for allowing me to speak. Are there any questions?