Formerly known as "Shrimp's," the Gooch's A-1 Bar & Grill location in Boulder Junction has been a staple in the Northwoods for almost 100 years.
Back in August of 2019, the popular bar known to so many was considered a total loss after a fire.
“We were woken up in the middle of the night with somebody screaming that the bar was on fire,” Gooch's 2 Bar and Grill Co-Owner Laurel Gutjahr said.
"I tried putting the fire out that was in the car before it all kicked in, and we couldn’t get it out,” Gooch's 2 Bar and Grill Co-Owner Kevin Gutjahr said.
The impact of the bar burning down was not only felt by locals in Boulder Junction, but also by travelers from all over the nation and from other countries that frequented Gooch's A-1.
Even though a lot of historical artifacts and animal mounts were lost in the fire, co-owners Kevin and Laurel never lost hope. Fast forward almost a year later, with help from Shaw Builders out of Stoughton, Wisconsin, and several donations from the community, the Gutjahr's were able to begin rebuilding.
The building is located in the same spot, but it now has a new name. "Gooch's 2 Bar and Grill" is the new name, but the owners say it will still be the same place where everyone is welcomed.
“We were more than just a bar," Kevin Gutjahr said. "It was more than just a bar restaurant. It is apart of this community and this community needs to have all of us. Not just me and the other bars and hotels in town, but all of us have to be here to keep Boulder Junction the way we are.’
The bar is set to hopefully reopen by late August early September, but the process could take a little longer depending on the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
