Stevens Point's top business stories of 2023: Hobby Lobby, Wendy's, Dunham's Sports development and more

STEVENS POINT – Between the U.S. Senior Open, Wendy's returning to central Wisconsin, developments near Dunham's Sports, a Hobby Lobby announcement and more, there was no shortage of business news in the Stevens Point area this year.

As we close out 2023, let’s take a look back at the last 12 months and review the biggest and most popular business stories of the year.

SentryWorld hosts the U.S. Senior Open

As tens of thousands of visitors and golfers were expected to arrive at SentryWorld for the U.S. Senior Open June 29 through July 2, the Stevens Point Journal covered a variety of stories, including the projection that the tournament would bring $25 million to the Stevens Point area. The Stevens Point Area Convention and Visitors Bureau and Travel Wisconsin forecasted millions of dollars would be spent at Stevens Point businesses on lodging, food and beverages, recreation, retail and transportation.

Because of the projected influx of between 50,000 and 75,000 visitors, we also covered what residents should expect with crowds, parking restrictions and local detours. We asked readers what local gems they'd recommend visitors see and do while they were in the area, and we collected those suggestions for a guide of local hot spots.

SentryWorld, the tournament's host, has a 41-year history in Stevens Point. We dove through old Journal articles and highlighted the history of golf at the venue, from trees, rocks and swampland to a world-class golf course. SentryWorld has hosted golfers like Arnold Palmer, Brett Favre and more.

New retail stores open near Dunham's Sports

This year, the Stevens Point Journal followed the progress of development plans to expand the Dunham's Sports site on U.S. 10 in Stevens Point, adding Five Below, Ross Dress for Less and Big Lots.

Five Below announced its plans in May to open at 5601 U.S. 10 E., offering most items between $1 and $5, aimed toward "tweens, teens and beyond." The store held its grand opening at 10 a.m. Nov. 17.

Ross Dress for Less announced its plans in June to open a store in early October. The bargain store offers a selection of clothing, home goods and furniture at discounted prices. The store hosted its grand opening Oct. 7.

Big Lots Home opened at the site this year, as well. The store, featuring an expanded selection of home decor and furniture at discounted prices, held a grand opening celebration Dec. 9.

Hobby Lobby announces plans for former Copps building

Hobby Lobby plans to open next year at the former Copps building at 5657 U.S. 10 E.

Plans call for a 50,000-square-foot location in the former grocery store. While the company told the Journal in May it would open in January, a Hobby Lobby spokesperson shared an update last month saying the company estimates it will open in early 2024, although an official opening date has not been announced.

Wendy's returns to central Wisconsin

One of the popular development topics this year was Wendy's return to central Wisconsin.

Plover leaders considered and approved plans in January for Wendy's to build a 2,000-square-foot drive-thru restaurant at 1215 Commons Circle in Plover.

The Journal updated readers on the project's progress, from the start of construction in June through its projected timeline for opening, tentative opening date, leading to its final opening date in November.

What's happening at the former Applebee's property?

When readers asked what was happening at the former Applebee's property in Stevens Point, we got an update from UW Credit Union.

The company plans to open its new Stevens Point branch in late 2024 or early 2025 at the site where Applebee's once stood at 5609 U.S. 10 E. The restaurant closed in September 2019 after serving customers in the Stevens Point area for 22 years.

UW Credit Union's CFO told the Journal the company plans to start construction in the first half of 2024.

Emy J's coffee shop expands with second location

Emy J's expanded into Park Ridge this year.

Hana Cutler, Lana Johnson and Kelly Rasmussen opened a second Emy J's location at 31 Park Ridge Drive. The new location is called the Coffee Vault, a nod to the vault that remains from when the building housed Pioneer Bank and First State Bank. The location opened May 22.

For more information, visit Emy J's Coffeehouse on Facebook.

Food + Farm Exploration Center opens

The new Food + Farm Exploration Center opened in Plover.

The Farming for the Future Foundation broke ground in April 2022 to build the Food + Farm Exploration Center on 24 acres of land south of Lake Pacawa, between Hoover Avenue and Interstate 39.

When the center opened Dec. 2, it marked four years of planning to create the 50,000-square-foot building. The foundation was established in 2018 to address the need to reconnect people in the area with the food they eat. The center connects agriculture, education, STEM and workforce development to help facilitate relationships with the farmers who grow our food.

The Food + Farm Exploration Center includes a teaching farm, a children's museum, a science center and community workshops that focus on celebrating food and farming. More than 60 hands-on exhibits at the center focus on different areas of farming, agricultural technology, crop productions and careers.

Worzalla publishing company is sold and job cuts follow

On Sept. 1, Worzalla announced it was sold to CJK Group Inc., a Minnesota-based company.

The printing, publishing and technology and information business acquired the Stevens Point publishing company and would rename it Sheridan Worzalla. CJK Group's Sheridan family of print companies prints books, magazines, journals, catalogs and commercial materials in facilities across Minnesota, Ohio, Michigan, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Kansas, Kentucky and Wisconsin. CJK Group said Worzalla's operations would expand Sheridan's strengths in trade, education, academic, religious and automotive markets.

In November, Sheridan Worzalla confirmed to the Journal it had eliminated about 60 positions in Stevens Point. A representative from Sheridan said the company faced difficult decisions, including "a reduction of approximately 60 positions," and said the upheaval from the pandemic continued to hit the printing and publishing industry and market. As a result, positions were eliminated to focus on streamlining operations and ensuring the company's long-term sustainability.

BowWow Meow Boutique opens Stevens Point store

BowWow Meow Boutique in Wisconsin Rapids expanded into Stevens Point this year.

The boutique pet store held a grand opening celebration and ribbon-cutting ceremony June 7 at 3449 Church St. Anita Freund, Michelle Zimmerman and Dawn Laugelli worked to open the second location, offering a pet-friendly outdoor patio area, where BowWow Meow can hold events with food trucks and drinks. Humans and pets can attend events like dog yoga, pet photography, pool parties and more. Customers can find the same treats, toys, accessories and other products that are available at the Wisconsin Rapids location.

Southpoint Restaurant closes and reopens with new owner

In February, the owners of Southpoint Restaurant retired and shut the restaurant's doors.

About a month later, Trevor Plaski changed the restaurant's sign to announce he was hiring for the restaurant he just bought. Plaski had been a customer, enjoying Southpoint Restaurant food for years, and when the doors closed, he said it felt like the end of an era. He said he realized he had the opportunity to bring back his favorite restaurant, and he took the leap.

The restaurant reopened at 4 a.m. April 17, featuring a menu of hot meals, chicken dumpling soup, malts, ice cream and more.

City leaders aim to buy former downtown Shopko building and redevelop property

City leaders are looking into options for the former Shopko building on Main Street in downtown Stevens Point.

Shopko closed its doors for the last time June 23, 2019, and it has since held temporary tenants like Spirit Halloween. According to city documents, some developers have attempted to redevelop and repurpose the building, but plans have either not fit well with the city's downtown development, or they have asked for too much tax increment financing for the quality of development proposed.

City leaders began considering options to purchase and redevelop the entire block, working with Vandewalle & Associates, a Madison-based planning and redevelopment firm, to research and provide conceptual designs and road configurations on that block.

Scooter's Coffee opens Stevens Point location

Scooter's Coffee opened at 5707 U.S. 10 E. in Stevens Point.

The city's Plan Commission first reviewed plans in February for the 670-square-foot drive-thru coffee shop at what was undeveloped green space near U.S. Bank.

After construction ended, the coffee shop opened Oct. 2. A Scooter's Coffee spokesperson told the Stevens Point Journal the city was a good fit for the chain because of its steady and sustainable growth.

Former Wausau-based food truck BroKogi takes over Dosirak Korean Restaurant

When Dosirak Korean Restaurant began preparing to close in August, the owners worked to find new owners who would continue offering a Korean menu in Stevens Point.

Sangwoon Kim, 20, and his brother, Sangin Kim, 19, opened BroKogi as a Wausau-based food truck in June. The owners of Dosirak Korean Restaurant reached out to the brothers to see if they might be interested in opening BroKogi at their building at 108 Division St. when they closed. The brothers agreed.

BroKogi opened in September, featuring a menu that combines the food truck menu with Dosirak's. Customers can find seafood or kimchi pancakes, Korean fried chicken, Bulgogi beef, spicy pork, kimchi fried rice, Korean corndogs and more.

For more information, find BroKogi on Facebook.

A cat café will open in Stevens Point in 2024

Lexi Peterson plans to open Starry Night Cat Café early next year at The Whiting Place, 1400 Strongs Ave. Peterson announced her plans on Aug. 17, in honor of Black Cat Appreciation Day.

The café will offer a place for people to connect with adoptable cats. Peterson said she loves all of the local coffee shops, and she plans for her café to fill the afternoon and late night gaps during the week, featuring locally-roasted beans from Condor Coffee in Wausau, as well as a variety of other drinks and food.

The coffeehouse itself will feature a separate enclosed space where guests can play with foster cats available for adoption through the Humane Society of Portage County. Peterson said the coffeehouse portion will be a cat-free zone, while the cat sanctuary space will be accessible for those who purchase a ticket and timeslot online.

Frank’s Hardware announces it will close

In July, Frank's Hardware announced it would close by the end of the year at 5444 U.S. 10 E.

The store left behind an 82-year legacy, after Frank A. Klein came to the United States at 13 years old and worked at a few hardware stores before he bought Guarantee Hardware in the early 1940s and opened Frank's Hardware in 1941. According to his obituary, he worked at the store right up until he died in January 1957.

The Klein family continued Frank's legacy through multiple generations, including his great-grandson T.J. Klein, who told the Journal the store would be open until all of the inventory was gone. The main reason for closing the store was T.J.'s dad's retirement after growing up in the store and running the family business at 71 years old. A voice recording tells customers who call Frank's Hardware the store is now closed.

Wicked Willow reopens, serving all-vegan menu in downtown Stevens Point

Wicked Willow was closed for three months before new owners purchased the vegan restaurant and got it back up and running.

Fern Neumann and Matt Carter reopened the all-vegan restaurant Aug. 15 at 1137 Main St. in downtown Stevens Point. Neumann said they worked at Wicked Willow, serving as manager for the last five years, almost since the restaurant first opened six years ago. When Neumann first started eating vegan, they thought they'd have to make all their food, as finding vegan options was difficult in the middle of the dairy state.

When Wicked Willow was listed for sale in April, the owner couldn't find a buyer and ended up closing May 20. Neumann had been on the fence about purchasing the restaurant before, but when they saw the outpouring of community support along with the clear demand for vegan options in the area, they decided to go for it.

Wicked Willow has shifted from a sit-down restaurant to a café. Diners can order and pay at the counter, and employees bring meals out to the tables. The restaurant also offers a grab 'n go selection of snacks and sandwiches.

For more information, visit wickedwillowstevenspoint.com or find Wicked Willow Stevens Point on Facebook.

Contact Caitlin at cshuda@gannett.com or follow her on Twitter @CaitlinShuda.

This article originally appeared on Stevens Point Journal: Stevens Point business news: Hobby Lobby, Wendy's, Five Below Big Lots