Jamie RokusWausau Daily Herald
RIB MOUNTAIN − There is no shortage of business news in the Wausau area, especially if you look to the nearby town of Rib Mountain.
We told you in March about discussions for a possible Chipotle Mexican Grill and Chick-fil-A development in the Lilac Avenue and Menton Lane area along Rib Mountain Drive. We reached out to Jared Grande, the town's community development director, earlier this month, and he said there is no new information to share yet. Keep watching the Wausau Daily Herald for the latest news on the project.
Streetwise also asked Grande about any news on a future tenant for the former Bed Bath & Beyond store at 3575 Rib Mountain Drive, which announced in January that it would close its doors. Grande said he did not have any news to share on that either.
But, we were able to get updates on the much-anticipated Crumbl Cookies location set to open soon on Rib Mountain Drive as well as information on the grand opening plans for Sportsman's Warehouse just three-quarters of a mile down the road. Many readers also have been asking about a new building going up on the corner of Hummingbird Road and Robin Lane that says it's the future home of Breakfast Bear. Read on to find out what that's all about.
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Breakfast Bear restaurant aims for fall opening
The family behind the Blue Willow Cafe, 1111 N. Fourth Ave. on Wausau's west side, has a new business venture they are excited to share with local diners.
The Breakfast Bear will open this fall at the corner of Hummingbird Road and Robin Lane in the town of Rib Mountain, said Labi Shabani, of Weston, who will operate the new restaurant with his fiance Donika Saliu. The building is currently under construction, but they are hoping for a September opening.
Shabani said the restaurant will start by serving only breakfast and lunch from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., but may extend hours if customers can support it.
Shabani said the new restaurant has been in the works for while, but was put on hold because of COVID.
Shabani said his dad, Adi "Eddie" Shabani, has operated the Blue Willow Cafe for 20 years and before that ran Tri-City Family Restaurant beginning in the early 1990s.
"This will be a sister location," Shabani said. "We tell our customers to think of it as Blue Willow 2.0."
Shabani said the Breakfast Bear will be a little different from Blue Willow Cafe and other local establishments.
"It will be a little more upscale, modern and refined, but still affordable," he said. "A lot of inspiration for it has come from Chicago and Madison."
The menu will feature "all the timeless classics" such as pancakes, French toast, skillets, omelets and eggs Benedict," Shabani said. "But, we plan to have more pizzazz on the menu with some of the items."
The Breakfast Bear will feature a wide range of specialty coffees as well as a full bar including co*cktails, bloody marys and seasonal beers.
Follow the restaurant at @breakfast_bear on Instagram for the latest updates. Shabani also plans to create a Facebook page to share progress.
Crumbl Cookies eyes June opening for Rib Mountain store
Crumbl Cookies fans have been waiting since signs first appeared in December for the new gourmet cookie store to open in Rib Mountain, and co-owner Jensen Robarge told the Wausau Daily Herald "we are getting really close!"
Robarge and franchise co-owner Seth Lucas had originally hoped to open the business in late May or early June, but said last week they are now looking toward mid to later June. Robarge and Lucas also own Crumbl Cookies locations in Sheboygan and Fond Du Lac.
The store will be located in the business center on Rib Mountain Drive that also includes HuHot Mongolian Grill, Plato's Closet and Ropa's Pizza.
Robarge said the Rib Mountain store will feature everything Crumbl Cookies fans have come to love including curbside pickup and delivery. It also will feature something unique to most stores, a drive-thru.
The Wausau location will be hiring 50 to 75 employees for full- and part-time roles as bakers and team shift leaders, Robarge said.
Crumbl Cookies offers more than 200 flavors that rotate every week, with six featured flavors each week, Robarge said.
Some of the more than 200 specialty cookie flavors include: Muddy Buddy, Biscoff Lava, Funfetti, Snickerdoodle, Coconut Lime, Chocolate Caramel, Hazelnut Sea Salt, Oatmeal Chocolate Chip, Rocky Road, S’Mores and Pumpkin Pie.
Since opening its first location in Logan, Utah, in 2017, Crumbl has expanded to 819 bakeries in 49 states.
Wisconsin stores include Appleton, Brookfield, Delafield, Eau Claire, Fond du Lac, Glendale, Grafton, Green Bay, Greendale, Hudson, Madison, Menomonee Falls, Oak Creek, Pleasant Prairie, Sheboygan and Sun Prairie.
Sportsman's Warehouse ready for June grand opening celebration
The Wausau Daily Herald was the first to announce in February that a new outdoor specialty retailer would move into the former Gordman's space in Rib Mountain in June.
Sportsman's Warehouse will open its doors for a grand opening celebration June 8-10 for its new store at 226601 Rib Mountain Drive. Store hours will be 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.
The new 60,000-square-foot store will be packed with over 60,000 items from major brands like ORVIS, Shimano, Plano, Rapala, YETI, Huk, Killik, Rustic Ridge, Smith & Wesson, Ruger, Sig Sauer, Benelli and more.
The first 200 customers in line each day during the grand opening event will receive a free Sportsman's Warehouse hat and gift card (one per family). Attendees also can enter to win a custom-built 2023 GMC Sierra 1500, participate in in-store sweepstakes to win various items and gift cards, and check out special discounts and product demonstrations, according to a company spokesperson.
According to the company's website, Sportsman's Warehouse has 146 stores across the U.S. with several in the Midwest, including Minnesota, Michigan, Iowa and Indiana.
This will be the company's second store in Wisconsin, the spokesperson said. Sportsman's Warehouse opened in April in Racine.
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Editor Jamie Rokus can be reached atjrokus@gannett.comor follow her on Twitter at@Jamie_Rokus.
