Jan and Ann Willlman
Following more than 25 years of ownership of Bud Willman’s Restaurant in Manitowoc, Jan and Ann Willman have retired, effective January 1st.
The couple who resides in Francis Creek spoke with Seehafer News recently to reminisce about their years in business and also the decision to hang up the spatula and apron.
“It went fast, it was 25 and a half years, and we sold it,” Ann said. “[We are] looking forward to a fun future.”
We asked Jan what his thoughts are on being able to step away from the business, and he called it “bittersweet because I did this my whole life. You meet a lot of nice people and that was the hardest part to step away from.”
Willman’s has served up great breakfasts, lunches, and desserts over the years and you might be surprised about the amount of meat and potatoes that the small café goes through in a typical month.
Jan estimated, “We’d go through between 160 and 200 pounds of bulk hamburger a week, we’d make our own balls. We’d make our own hashbrowns and American fries, so we went through 250 to 300 pounds of potatoes in a week.”
Ann added they used “100 pounds of onions, 60 pounds of butter, 60 dozen eggs” and quipped, “It was pretty crazy for a small place.”
Ann said she and her husband became very close with their regular customers.
Customer note to Jan and Ann during COVID
“People would come in, we went to their weddings, we knew all their grandkids when they’d bring them in,” she recalled. “That was one of the neatest things was the people and we saw their family more than we saw our own families. It was a neat thing to have happened.”
The Willmans said they also found out how good their customers were during Covid.
“We had a lady, we still don’t know who she was, but she must’ve been a customer who didn’t know our name she sent us $300,” Ann revealed. “She wished us well and hoped that this would help us get through it. I still have her note in my purse and when I’m having a bad day I’m going to look at it.”
The affable couple has turned over the restaurant reins to the third-generation owners in their nephew Garrett and his fiancé, Tara.
Garrett and Tara
Garrett said they have noticed that loyalty in their customers saying they are “like a family to us.”
Tara added “It’s been one of the busiest places I’ve worked at, I mean it’s nonstop all day long. But it is nice to get to know people and even when you up at the grill or by the fryer you can sit there and chat with them.”
Jan Willman admitted the last week in business went by like a blur, because a lot of people came in and wanted to see them before their retirement.
