Dairy Bar Celebrates Third Anniversary
with Owner Kristi Bunnell

The Thorp Courier (Thorp, WI)
November 4, 2009
Transcribed by Dolores Mohr Kenyon

The Dairy Bar has been a fundamental part of the city of Thorp for years, but after being juggled around for a few, things started to fall apart.  It was when Kristi Bunnell took over as the restaurant’s owner, that The Dairy Bar reclaimed its spot in Thorp’s lineup of great businesses, and from the looks of it, it is here to stay.
 
Kristi Bunnell, a graduate of Stanley-Boyd High School, had years of experience working with different aspects of the food business, including working for Drangles and LaGrander’s Hillside Dairy.  It was when she was a waitress at The Dairy Bar that she became extremely attached to the business.  “I fell in love with the customers,” Bunnell said.  “They are like family.”
 
It was this affection toward the clientele and the dedication to the restaurant that brought her to begin noticing that the cafe was not living up to the standards that she saw were possible.  Bunnell discussed taking over the restaurant with the landlord, took the necessary state tests, and worked her way into taking over as the manager.
 
With a lot of help from the staff, Bunnell moved into cleaning up and refurbishing The Dairy Bar, still keeping the old-time charm that it already held.  Putting in new black and white checkered floors and new vintage upholstery on the seats of the booths, things began to really shape up for the long-running café.  Adding to the old-time feel, framed antique photos of the city of Thorp were hung on the walls. The only photo that was not strictly city landscape is a picture of the original owner and an original waitress of The Dairy Bar, Myrtle Babbitt.
 
Bunnell also revamped the menu, bringing in some new and old recipes with an occasional piece of advice from Myrtle Babbitt.  With all the changes she has made, Bunnell puts a lot of focus on keeping some of the best qualities of the restaurant the same including the quality of the food served.  Offering a large quantity of homemade items, such as her soups, cookies, and pies, Bunnell concentrates on keeping things fresh.  “It makes a difference,” said Bunnell about her homemade soup.  “I even get orders for a gallon of it from hunters to take hunting with them.”
 
The aesthetic qualities and the menu are only a portion of the great features that The Dairy Bar offers under the watchful eye of Kristi Bunnell.  She has turned a little café into a routine home to a crew of everyday customers.  “You know where they are if they aren’t here, and if you don’t, you worry,” Bunnell said about her Dairy Bar family that she refers to as The Dairy Bar Crew.  “I could be having the worst day and they get me going. That’s why I’m still here,” said Bunnell.
 
Much like any conventional family, Bunnell throws the group birthday celebrations along with a daily allotment of playful teasing which she often is returning from a lively customer.  When asked what makes the restaurant so successful, she replied, “Becoming their friends keeps the loyalty.  Visiting with them, listening to them, joking around with them, it all helps.” 
 
Bunnell thinks a lot about keeping the community members laughing, but she also thins about keeping them safe.  She extended her restaurant hours, opening at 1:00 a.m. on Sunday mornings for the shift that she refers to as “the bar rush.”  Keeping intoxicated patrons off the streets, Bunnell opens her doors every weekend, sacrificing her own Saturday nights.  “It lets them wind down and keeps them in here rather than driving,” Bunnell said.
 
Another part of the recent success under Kristi Bunnell is the support of other local businesses.  Bunnell mentioned the Sun Up Saloon and Cindy’s as two of many businesses that have helped keep things running at The Dairy Bar.  With respect to the other businesses in town, Bunnell stays informed about other restaurants’ menus.  “It’s a courtesy thing,” said Bunnell.  “If one restaurant has a taco special one day, I’m not going to run the same thing.  I refuse to compete.”
 
With all that she has done with the Dairy Bar, Bunnell has helped return the little off-the-map café back into a dominant part of Thorp’s daily life.  When asked about the future of the Dairy Bar and her part in it, Bunnell replied, “I plan on staying.  As long as they’ll have me, I plan on staying.”