Business tidbits from around the tri-state area. This week, we highlight developments in Platteville, Wis., and Dubuque.
PLATTEVILLE, Wis. — To owner Nicci Vosberg, the new moniker for a beloved, longtime restaurant and banquet hall in Platteville works on multiple levels.
First, Crossroads Supper Club and Banquet Hall is located at a literal intersection, resting where Wisconsin 80 and Grant County A meet.
On another level, though, Vosberg hopes it is a place where people can convene when their own lives are at a crossroads. She envisions monumental events — from graduations to birthday parties — taking place at her business.
“I really want an environment here where people can have fun and let loose,” she said. “I hope this is a place where people can celebrate those big occasions in life.”
Vosberg became the owner of the restaurant and banquet hall in October, taking the reins of the business formerly known as Arthur House. She said the property has served as an eatery since 1979 and switched hands multiple times over that stretch.
Vosberg previously tried her hand at owning a business, running a boutique out of her home. She also possesses a decade and a half of experience in the restaurant industry.
Even so, she acknowledged that buying the eatery seemed like “taking a leap.”
“It is pretty nerve-wracking,” she said. “But it is also really exciting.”
Crossroads features an eatery with a supper-club atmosphere. An attached banquet hall hosts everything from birthday parties to wedding receptions.
Vosberg said she hopes to make renovations to the property and update the menu by adding more farm-to-table options that incorporate local producers. She noted that the venue will continue to host live comedy, a popular offering among customers.
Vosberg said the business’ previous owners had contemplated retirement before she purchased the business. She is happy to carry on the tradition – and put her own spin on things along the way.
“It is important to have locally owned restaurants and not just a bunch of franchises,” she said. “I think it helps to maintain that sense of community.”
Crossroads serves lunch from 11:30 a.m. until 2 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and brunch from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday. It opens at 4:30 p.m. for dinner Wednesday through Saturday. The business is closed Mondays and Tuesdays.
It can be reached at 608-348-7899.
YOUNG ENTREPRENEUR
A Loras College student with an interest in entrepreneurship is getting a head start on her career – and aiming to help those in need in the process.
Lauren Fishnick, an East Dubuque, Ill., native, launched Dust Boutique in May. The online-only business sells a variety of clothing and jewelry geared toward young women.
“I have always had an interest in clothes and always wanted to start a boutique,” Fishnick explained. “I used to think that dream was outlandish and something I wouldn’t be able to achieve. I really wanted to prove to myself that I can do it.”
Fishnick said she actually committed to starting the business in the spring of 2018, but it took a full year of planning and preparation before she could get Dust Boutique off the ground.
Once the business had been launched, Fishnick started to contemplate how she could put her profits to good use.
She ultimately decided to donate 10% of proceeds to Opening Doors, a local nonprofit that assists women and children who are experiencing homelessness.
“Our hope is that we can help women through rough times,” Fishnick said.
Fishnick, who is majoring in business administration, is on pace to graduate in May. She hopes to continue operating the business after earning her degree.
She said she has begun researching local properties and is considering opening a storefront in the area.
For more information, visit thedustboutique.com
ACCOUNTING AND TAX ACQUISITION
One longtime Dubuque accounting and tax preparation firm soon will acquire a local business with a similar focus and history.
Wagner Accounting & Tax Service will acquire the assets, staff and client contacts for One Stop Tax Service, officials from each entity have confirmed.
Wagner Accounting & Tax Service President Thomas Wagner noted that this marks the firm’s first acquisition in more than three decades. As the business sought to expand its footprint, One Stop Tax Service emerged as an ideal candidate for acquisition.
“We are both long-term, family-run businesses and our customer bases are relatively similar,” he said. “It seemed like a good fit.”
Wagner Accounting & Tax Service was founded in 1973. It now has offices in Dubuque and Maquoketa, Iowa, and employs about one dozen workers at peak season.
The six employees who work at One Stop will have positions at Wagner Accounting & Tax Service. Wagner explained that maintaining these workers was a key component of the transaction.
“Our business is a relationship business,” Wagner said. “For people to see the same faces and have that same experience is really important.”
One Stop Tax Service was founded in 1969 by Delbert Winner. The following winter his wife, Sharon Winner, began working at the firm. Sharon has owned the business since Delbert died in 1994.
“Over the years, we have had many very loyal employees and loyal customers who were with us for a long length of time,” she said.
The team at One Stop will continue to offer services at its lone location, 1449 Central Ave., through the coming tax season. At the conclusion of the season, that office will close, and those staffers will begin working out of Wagner facilities.