Skipper's celebrates 75 years on Crazy Daze

Skipper's Restaurant at 812 E. First St. in Merrill is celebrating 75 years in 2012.

Owned by Rick Scott for the past 10 years, the restaurant was founded by Tom "Skipper" Walters in 1937. Originally called "Skippy's Lunch" and later "Skipper's Lunch Counter," the business operated at 810 E. First St. from 1937 to 1945. In 1945, Walters purchased the building next door at 812 E. First St., remodeled and moved into the current location.

According to an ad in the Merrill Quasquincentennial book (1972), back in 1937, a Skipper's patron "could get a complete Sunday chicken dinner including dessert for 35 cents, a T-bone steak for 50 cents, or a bowl of chicken soup, a hamburger and coffee for 15 cents. Waitresses worked 7 days a week, 12 hours a day for $5.

"We were open from 1937-42, 5 years, without a key in the door. We had 12 stools, which were kept pretty warm," the ad says.

Tom and his wife, Lucille, noted in the ad that they had cut back on their hours since their family had grown up.

In 1979, the business was sold to Bob and Signa Lambrecht. They totally remodeled the restaurant, expanded the kitchen, added new equipment, more seating and installed central air conditioning. The restaurant featured home cooked meals by Ardie Woller, including pies and soups. The restaurant was open 7 days a week.

The Lambrechts sold the business to Wayne Karpenske in 1998. Rick Scott purchased Skipper's on June 28, 2002.

Under Scott's ownership, the building has been updated and an outdoor patio was opened in 2003.

The restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch and Friday night fish fries. They still have the original cookbook and use the same recipes that have been the Skipper's staples for decades.

The restaurant has a loyal following and Scott can almost tell the day of the week by who's sitting at the counter.

Skipper's has seven employees who share the owner's pride in quality and service.

The restaurant has been featured in the Cafè Wisconsin book, a guide to the state's down-home cafes.

Scott will be celebrating the restaurant's 75th anniversary on Crazy Daze, Aug. 2, with a cake cutting, raffles and specials. Weather permitting, live music will be offered on the patio with Carl Uttech from 10 a.m.-noon and Aaron Jay from 1-4:30 p.m. The cake cutting will be held at the tiki hut at 3 p.m.