Biz Buzz shares business tidbits from across the tri-states. This edition highlights recent developments in Kieler, Wis.; Fennimore, Wis.; and Key West, Iowa.

KIELER, Wis. — A popular area business is set to reopen after being damaged during a deluge of extreme weather earlier this year.

Village Bar Supper Club, 3410 Grant County HHH, will reopen Sunday, Dec. 15. The soft opening marks exactly five months since an EF-1 tornado hit Kieler and caused structural damage to the building.

“We’re just excited to get things back to normal,” said co-owner Shelley Thumser, who runs the restaurant with her husband, Kurt. “I’ve missed seeing all our staff and all our regulars. We really are a kind of family here.”

The tornado that damaged the Kieler restaurant was part of what was classified by the National Weather Service as a derecho — a long-lived wind storm — that swept through the area on its route from central Iowa all the way east to Indiana.

The storm tore the roof off the Village Bar building and caused widespread water damage throughout the restaurant. At first, Thumser was unsure if the building could be salvaged, but she received the go-ahead to rebuild this fall after a structural assessment found it was safe to do so.

The rebuild included a long list of repairs and improvements, she said, including the reconstruction of the roof and the replacement of flooring, ceilings and more.

“We redid the whole dining room, the kitchen and the bar,” Thumser said. “Pretty much, we had to redo the whole thing because of all the water damage.”

In an attempt to find a silver lining, Thumser said, she and her husband used the reconstruction period to update the building’s interior and create a warm, welcoming environment for new and returning guests.

The menu remains the same and features food the restaurant is known for such as its prime rib and pasta dishes.

“I’m nervous to get the grill up and running again, but I’m also excited,” Thumser said. “We’re all ready to get back into the groove of things.”

For the first week after its reopening, the restaurant will be open from 4 to 8 p.m. daily for supper only. After that, it will resume regular business hours of 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday through Monday, and Sunday breakfast will resume Dec. 22.

For additional updates, visit the Village Bar Supper Club Facebook page.

New hardware store coming to Fennimore

An area business owner intends to open a new hardware store in Fennimore.

Krantz Auto Parts owner Bob Krantz recently purchased the former World of Variety Home & Hardware building at 280 Lincoln Ave. The goal is to restore and reopen the building as a hardware store next spring.

“We have a little bit of hardware stuff (at the auto parts store), but it’s nowhere near what this community needs,” Krantz said. “With the new building, we can move our hardware stuff over and offer people more of what they’re looking for.”

Krantz intends to open the new hardware store by May 1. The World of Variety building has sat vacant for years, however, and first will require a series of structural improvements. The building needs a new roof, Krantz explained, as well as updated wiring, ceiling tiles and more.

Once those renovations are complete, Krantz’s auto parts and repair business will continue to operate out of its current location at 225 Lincoln Ave. while its hardware offerings will be relocated and expanded within the new building.

“We’re going all in on hardware in the new building,” Krantz said. “The amount of repairs that are needed will take a while … but we want to have a little bit of everything once we open.”

For project updates, visit the Krantz Auto Parts Facebook page.

2 area vet clinics combine into 1 animal health hub

Two area veterinary clinics have merged into a single Key West-based practice.

PetMed Animal Health Center recently acquired Key West Animal Health Clinic. The combined practice now is known as PetMed of Key West Veterinary Clinic and will operate out of the original Key West Animal Health Clinic building at 2262 Flint Hill Drive.

“We’ve literally just combined like a big Brady Bunch family,” said veterinarian and PetMed owner Mackenzie Hellert. “It’s been really exciting learning how to work together to help clients and their pets with this transition.”

Hellert was contacted earlier this year by longtime Key West Animal Health Clinic owner Kim Bergfeld about the possibility of purchasing Bergfeld’s business. Hellert said the purchase seemed like a good fit for PetMed, which was also based in Key West and looking to expand.

Hellert moved forward with the sale, and the two offices officially combined on Dec. 2. Bergfeld is expected to remain with the team for the immediate future as she plans for retirement, Hellert said, and most of the original Key West clinic staff also have stayed.

“Things have been going as smoothly as they possibly could have (since the acquisition),” Hellert said. “Together, we’re two times what we were before.”

PetMed previously operated out of a leased space at 2400 Gateway Drive. By buying the Flint Hill Drive building, Hellert said, the clinic’s square footage has more than doubled from the former location.

The extra space and the combination of the two teams will allow the clinic to expand its capacity by about 25% from what the two were doing separately, and Hellert said the plan is to eventually renovate the building to allow for even more growth.

Hellert said that expansion will remain on the horizon, however, until staff and clients have had time to acclimate to the merger and make full use of the current space.

“We want to be one big family at PetMed of Key West,” she said. “We love our clients and our patients, and we treat them the absolute best we can. Hopefully, everyone can bear with us as we work through this transition and begin to move forward together.”

For more information on PetMed of Key West Veterinary Clinic, visit dbqpetmed.com or call 563-583-8387. The clinic is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 8 a.m. to noon on the first and third Saturday of each month.