29:
291:
181:
announcement was made, the operation was struggling, and that a visit showed only "7 tables of about 40 tables" were occupied during the dinner rush, and that "Five vehicles were parked at the motel at the same time". The restaurant closed as scheduled, although a newspaper article published in 1995 claims the motel had stayed open until early that year.
278:
After multiple changes in ownership (including a renaming to the "King Arthur's Inn Motel" in April 1995) and years of unrepaired wear, the motel was abandoned in 2001. Shortly thereafter, the
Johnson Creek Fire Department burned the motel to the ground as a "practice fire" for their firefighters.
176:
In 1974, the
Wisconsin Equal Rights Division ruled that the restaurant violated the rights of two women by firing them for refusing to wear uniforms that were different from the uniform of male employees. Male waiters and bartenders wore tuxedos, while female waitresses were required to wear "black
189:
After the
Hartwig family sold the building in the early 1990s, several restaurants operated in the building. The first was a Mexican restaurant called "Redondos" in 1995. Others included a roadside diner, "The Round Stone Restaurant", and "The New Gobbler". The last tenant went out of business in
180:
In late May 1992, then-motel and restaurant manager Clyde
Hartwig filed a notice with the Village of Johnson Creek stating that the motel and restaurant would "permanently cease operations and close its business" by July 26 of that year. A newspaper article about the closure noted that, when the
251:
172:
standards. At the time, the plant was the largest employer in
Johnson Creek, employing up to 300 workers and processing 30 million pounds of poultry a year. Hartwig's other ventures, the Gobbler supper club, the Cackle Shack restaurant and Gobbler motel remained open.
241:
by owner Dan
Manesis, who bought the property in 2014. The iconic rotating bar remained, as well as the original chairs and some of the decor. The theater "temporarily" closed in 2021 with no reopening date announced, and is currently for sale.)
680:
274:
that extended up the walls in each themed room. According to a 1978 newspaper article, it required two maids to make the motel's round waterbeds, with the maids "hanging by one arm and stretching out a stockinged foot to smooth away wrinkles"
675:
705:
557:
623:
279:
The concrete slab on which the motel was built was left in place until 2019. The motel site has been redeveloped and is now home to an assisted living and memory care community.
222:
The owners held an auction of the property and separate items, including the petrified wood that lined the entrance, in
December 2009, hoping to recoup some of their costs.
448:
760:
168:
Hartwig's poultry plant was located just south of the supper club and closed in 1971 after
Hartwig announced that it was too costly to upgrade the plant to meet new
765:
710:
219:
Wisconsin
Tourism Program hosted "The Gobbler Gala" at the restaurant. The dinner featured talks by Gobbler architect Ajango and Wright historian Sidney Robinson.
202:
755:
399:
700:
695:
605:
212:, hotel and convention center. The land was still for sale in 2007, the motel property for $ 6.2 million and the restaurant property for $ 2.3 million.
740:
467:
750:
720:
485:
730:
177:
briefs, fishnet stockings and V-necked hunting jackets." It was the first ruling to find "sex discrimination on the basis of uniforms".
144:
and steak. It included a rotating circular bar that completed one revolution every 80 minutes. The
Gobbler was at the intersection of
65:
508:
28:
735:
725:
58:
655:
James Lileks' "Institute of Official Cheer" Gobbler tribute site - A detailed description of the property (with photos)
715:
581:
532:
133:
129:
51:
330:
378:
209:
745:
643:
309:
145:
250:
160:. It closed in 1992. The original restaurant building reopened as the Gobbler Theater in late 2015.
259:
125:
644:
Facebook page for The Gobbler Theater, opened in December 2015 in the Gobbler Supper Club building
493:
216:
157:
449:"Johnson Creek Growth Has Cooled Some but Many Feel Another Spurt Near Outlet Mall Will Happen"
140:
for local poultry processor Clarence Hartwig and opened in 1967. The menu featured turkey,
432:
Amy Rinard (June 30, 1999). "Community set to decide whether casino's worth the gamble".
258:
Across the street from the supper club, the Gobbler Motel had an adventurous, futuristic
509:"The Gobbler Supper Club, an icon of Wisconsin kitschiness, heads for the auction block"
304:
689:
296:
271:
205:
137:
105:
665:
267:
121:
659:
286:
198:
80:
67:
194:
153:
141:
666:"Supper Club State: A Brief Cultural History of the Wisconsin Institution"
654:
263:
672:, Summer 2009. Interview with Gobbler supper club's most recent owners.
624:"The View at Johnson Creek sets "quiet opening" for residents' safety"
363:
Ann Beckmann (April 12, 1974). "Rules Out Sexy Garb As Job Basis".
208:
tribes in the 1990s to purchase the land for a multimillion-dollar
348:
Mike Ivey (May 29, 1992). "Hartwig's Gobbler Files Close Notice".
249:
117:
328:
Effie Loomer (February 9, 1971). "Plant Closing Shocks Village".
238:
169:
149:
648:
582:"I-94 Visible Music Theatre Venue - Gobbler 350 N Watertown St"
270:
players, round sunken bathtubs, and differently colored
706:
Buildings and structures in Jefferson County, Wisconsin
132:, United States. It was designed in the late 1960s by
101:
96:
57:
47:
42:
21:
558:"Gobbler Theater closed for now, future uncertain"
33:Former Gobbler Supper Club building in August 2010
394:
392:
262:design that featured 49 rooms with symbol-shaped
237:The Gobbler was reopened in December 2015 as the
233:Re-opening, Temporary Closure and Sale Listing
417:"Casino Complex next for the Gobbler site?".
8:
606:"Velour and Black Satin - Or Quiet Elegance"
343:
341:
660:Gobbler Motel and Supper Club TV commercial
254:Logo used in 1972 for newspaper advertising
490:Wright & Like 2008 - On The Road Again
18:
761:American companies disestablished in 1992
468:"Architectural Icons Overlap At Gobbler"
379:"Fowl Out? Gobbler Gives Closing Notice"
229:was shot on location at the restaurant.
320:
766:American companies established in 1967
711:Demolished hotels in the United States
670:Wisconsin People & Ideas magazine
400:"Restaurant opens at site of Gobbler"
7:
533:"The Gobbler is coming back to life"
16:Building in Johnson Creek, Wisconsin
756:1992 disestablishments in Wisconsin
225:In 2011, the locally produced film
14:
701:Roadside attractions in Wisconsin
696:Hotel buildings completed in 1967
486:"Special Event: The Gobbler Gala"
741:1967 establishments in Wisconsin
447:Barry Adams (October 21, 2007).
289:
27:
1:
751:Hotels disestablished in 1992
406:. March 22, 1995. p. B6.
681:Former site of Gobbler Motel
628:Daily Jefferson County Union
562:Daily Jefferson County Union
721:Motels in the United States
676:Site of Gobbler Supper Club
385:. May 29, 1992. p. A1.
193:There were attempts by the
782:
731:Hotels established in 1967
612:. Oct 18, 1978. p. 4.
507:Barry Adams (2009-12-11).
434:Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
466:Doug Moe (May 23, 2008).
266:(such as a heart-shape),
38:
26:
130:Johnson Creek, Wisconsin
52:Johnson Creek, Wisconsin
513:Wisconsin State Journal
472:Wisconsin State Journal
453:Wisconsin State Journal
331:Wisconsin State Journal
97:Design and construction
610:The Milwaukee Sentinel
255:
651:, architect's website
404:The Milwaukee Journal
253:
310:List of supper clubs
146:Wisconsin Highway 26
736:Googie architecture
726:Hotels in Wisconsin
664:Bredahl, Brenda K.
260:Googie architecture
126:roadside attraction
81:43.0844°N 88.7702°W
77: /
43:General information
539:. 11 December 2015
383:Milwaukee Sentinel
256:
227:Missed Connections
217:Frank Lloyd Wright
215:In June 2008, the
158:Madison, Wisconsin
152:, halfway between
716:Wisconsin culture
419:The Capital Times
111:
110:
86:43.0844; -88.7702
773:
632:
631:
620:
614:
613:
602:
596:
595:
593:
592:
578:
572:
571:
569:
568:
554:
548:
547:
545:
544:
529:
523:
522:
520:
519:
504:
498:
497:
492:. Archived from
482:
476:
475:
463:
457:
456:
444:
438:
437:
429:
423:
422:
421:. June 25, 1999.
414:
408:
407:
396:
387:
386:
375:
369:
368:
360:
354:
353:
345:
336:
335:
325:
299:
294:
293:
292:
92:
91:
89:
88:
87:
82:
78:
75:
74:
73:
70:
31:
19:
781:
780:
776:
775:
774:
772:
771:
770:
686:
685:
640:
635:
622:
621:
617:
604:
603:
599:
590:
588:
580:
579:
575:
566:
564:
556:
555:
551:
542:
540:
531:
530:
526:
517:
515:
506:
505:
501:
484:
483:
479:
465:
464:
460:
446:
445:
441:
431:
430:
426:
416:
415:
411:
398:
397:
390:
377:
376:
372:
362:
361:
357:
347:
346:
339:
327:
326:
322:
318:
295:
290:
288:
285:
248:
239:Gobbler Theater
235:
203:Lac du Flambeau
187:
166:
85:
83:
79:
76:
71:
68:
66:
64:
63:
34:
17:
12:
11:
5:
779:
777:
769:
768:
763:
758:
753:
748:
743:
738:
733:
728:
723:
718:
713:
708:
703:
698:
688:
687:
684:
683:
678:
673:
662:
657:
652:
646:
639:
638:External links
636:
634:
633:
630:. May 9, 2020.
615:
597:
573:
549:
524:
499:
496:on 2009-02-03.
477:
458:
439:
424:
409:
388:
370:
355:
337:
319:
317:
314:
313:
312:
307:
305:List of motels
301:
300:
284:
281:
247:
244:
234:
231:
186:
183:
165:
162:
109:
108:
103:
99:
98:
94:
93:
61:
55:
54:
49:
45:
44:
40:
39:
36:
35:
32:
24:
23:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
778:
767:
764:
762:
759:
757:
754:
752:
749:
747:
744:
742:
739:
737:
734:
732:
729:
727:
724:
722:
719:
717:
714:
712:
709:
707:
704:
702:
699:
697:
694:
693:
691:
682:
679:
677:
674:
671:
667:
663:
661:
658:
656:
653:
650:
649:Helmut Ajango
647:
645:
642:
641:
637:
629:
625:
619:
616:
611:
607:
601:
598:
587:
583:
577:
574:
563:
559:
553:
550:
538:
534:
528:
525:
514:
510:
503:
500:
495:
491:
487:
481:
478:
473:
469:
462:
459:
454:
450:
443:
440:
435:
428:
425:
420:
413:
410:
405:
401:
395:
393:
389:
384:
380:
374:
371:
366:
365:Capital Times
359:
356:
351:
350:Capital Times
344:
342:
338:
333:
332:
324:
321:
315:
311:
308:
306:
303:
302:
298:
297:Hotels portal
287:
282:
280:
276:
273:
269:
265:
261:
252:
245:
243:
240:
232:
230:
228:
223:
220:
218:
213:
211:
207:
204:
200:
196:
191:
184:
182:
178:
174:
171:
163:
161:
159:
155:
151:
147:
143:
139:
138:Helmut Ajango
135:
134:Fort Atkinson
131:
127:
123:
119:
115:
107:
106:Helmut Ajango
104:
100:
95:
90:
62:
60:
56:
53:
50:
46:
41:
37:
30:
25:
20:
746:Supper clubs
669:
627:
618:
609:
600:
589:. Retrieved
585:
576:
565:. Retrieved
561:
552:
541:. Retrieved
536:
527:
516:. Retrieved
512:
502:
494:the original
489:
480:
471:
461:
452:
442:
436:. p. 1.
433:
427:
418:
412:
403:
382:
373:
367:. p. 1.
364:
358:
349:
329:
323:
277:
257:
236:
226:
224:
221:
214:
192:
188:
185:Post-closure
179:
175:
167:
113:
112:
102:Architect(s)
272:shag carpet
122:supper club
114:The Gobbler
84: /
59:Coordinates
22:The Gobbler
690:Categories
591:2024-04-17
567:2024-04-17
543:2015-12-12
518:2009-12-11
316:References
199:Potawatomi
190:mid-2002.
136:architect
72:88°46′13″W
69:43°05′04″N
264:waterbeds
195:Menominee
154:Milwaukee
142:prime rib
283:See also
206:Chippewa
48:Location
586:LoopNet
268:8-track
164:History
210:casino
124:, and
116:was a
246:Motel
118:motel
537:WISN
201:and
170:USDA
156:and
150:I-94
148:and
128:in
692::
668:,
626:.
608:.
584:.
560:.
535:.
511:.
488:.
470:.
451:.
402:.
391:^
381:.
340:^
197:,
120:,
594:.
570:.
546:.
521:.
474:.
455:.
352:.
334:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
