Homestead on 52

Nestled on the outskirts of eastern Wausau lies a building that has over 100 years of history. The building has served as an inn with rooms to rent, a moonshine liquor operation during Prohibition and a roller-skating rink. In more recent years, a few owners have used the building as a restaurant and special event venue.

The new owners of Homestead on 52, Tori Granec, Kurt Utecht and Jackson Granec, have recently revived a business that was originally founded in 1878 by J.W. Nutter on Highway 52 about eight miles east of Wausau.

The grand opening of Homestead on 52 took place on June 6, and the event lasted the entire weekend. During the weekend, there were three live music performances featuring Knockpoint, HYDE and Juan Solo Acoustic Rock.

On Saturday, they had a Bingo event, and they donated the proceeds to the Town of Wausau Volunteer Fire Department.

“We raised money, and then also donated a little extra to make it $1,000,” said Tori Granec.

The owners said that they hope to do more fundraising events for different organizations in the area each month.

“We’re definitely about giving back to the community,” she said. “We’re a community bar. Yes, we own and operate it, but it is for the community.”

As far as their menu, they offer freshly made burgers, homemade pizzas, as well as typical bar appetizers. On Wednesdays, they make roasted chicken; on Fridays, they have a fish fry; and on Sundays, there is a buffet.

Along with the restaurant, the owners have started hosting parties and events in the ballroom as well.

“We’ve had funeral luncheons, and so we try to help give back to families,” said Granec. “We have some private parties scheduled, which will close down the ballroom, but not the bar.”

The owners said it was a long process to get the restaurant into opening condition. They got the keys at the end of March, and since then, they have been cleaning and updating the place to get it ready for the public.

“We started coming in and doing a lot of cleaning. A lot of scraping. We repainted. We had to do all the electrical work and the plumbing,” said Granec. “We had to get new equipment because it was not up to par.”

“Making sure that the building was up to code was probably our biggest struggle,” she said.

Luckily, they have had help from family and friends along the way. Most of the employees are related to or friends with the owners. They said that it is nice to have reliable help that they can count on.

“Because we’re family, everybody’s willing to jump in and do what needs to be done,” said Granec.

The owners also took the time to listen to community input about every aspect of the restaurant, from the menu to future renovations. They even have a bucket for people to slip suggestions in.

The owners said that talking to their community is one of the best aspects of owning the restaurant.

“We listened to people for input and tried to update as much as we could,” said Granec.

“I like the community and meeting all the new people. But honestly, for me, it’s having our family do something altogether,” she said.

“We’re not able to go and take a bunch of trips, especially now, but we’re still making memories,” she said. “It really is a family-run and owned place, and that’s why we’re keeping the name Homestead. One of our slogans is ‘welcome home.’”

The owners have been working to make Homestead on 52 uniquely their own, while incorporating the history of the building with modern amenities such as updating plumbing and air conditioning.

“We wanted to keep it classic Homestead, but at the same time, updated,” said Granec.

In the future, they are looking to redo the bathrooms so that they are accessible to people with handicaps. They are also looking to create an outdoor wedding venue. The living quarters will eventually be redone into an office space, bridal room and green room. The owners are also hoping to build an outdoor deck for an outside dining experience.

“It’s not just a bar,” said Granec. “It’s a family place.”

To check out the new Homestead on 52, head to 162765 WI-52 in Wausau. Their hours are currently 2–9 p.m. on Sunday–Thursday, and 2 p.m.–12 a.m. on Friday and Saturday. For more updated information, go to Homestead on 52’s Facebook page.