HOLLANDTOWN, Wis. (WFRV) – Wisconsin became a state in 1848, so it’s hard to imagine many places that still exist nearly two centuries later; however, you actually have no further to look than right here in northeast Wisconsin.
Dish: ‘Laughing Ladies’ keep decades-long tradition alive at Kroll’s West restaurant
Van Abel’s of Hollandstown has been serving customers for almost 175 years, as a fifth-generation restaurant that started in the woods.
“Our history starts back around the 1850s when my great-great-grandfather emigrated from the Netherlands,” Owner Chris Coenen said.
That ancestor cleared land in the wooded area, which is now known as Hollandtown, crafting the property’s first building, but after World War II, the fourth-generation built the current location, which stands the test of time as Van Abel’s.
“It’s kind of in your blood,” Chris said. “I don’t know how else to describe it.”
Now, over 170 years since their family arrived, Chris and his sister, Ann Golden, who co-owns Van Abel’s, carry this restaurant forward, even though they started their careers not as owners.
“I was 13 when I started here, bussing tables,” Chris said.
Ann said the two of them grew up here.
“When we were little and our mother was working here, we’d be in the hall with big wheels,” Anne said. “That way, she kept an eye on us, and we’d go next door to our grandparents in the afternoon. We literally grew up here.”
Ann added that it’s almost like the show Cheers, you get to know a lot of people who have come back for generations.
“You get to know their family,” Ann said. “A variety of people who worked here for generations know a lot of the people from the time they served people up until now.”
The family aspect is evident in more than just the way of a sitcom. Some of the staff had parents who worked here as well.
“We’re a fifth-generation company, but we have a lot of people with a third-generation of their family working here,” Chris said. “That’s what makes this such a great group, that’s what gives us such pride in doing what we do.”
Both Ann and Chris went off to college and worked elsewhere for a time, but when their grandfather and his brother retired, Chris decided it was time.
“That’s when I decided to come back and be part of it again.”
Ann concurred, adding that it was always in her mind to return to Van Abel’s.
“I’ve always had it in the back of my head; it’s something I know inside and out,” Ann said. “I started at the beginning, bussing, doing dishes and worked my way up to serving.”
People keep coming back, and it goes back to the quality-centric focus and tradition, like the family-style chicken that’s been around for 60 years.
“We’ve been doing the broasted chicken since 1965,” Chris said. “It’s become a staple of who we are. The family-style chicken is a great option because you get to sit at your table and talk with your family, which some people rarely have time to do.”
Shari Peterson has lived in the area for 35 years, and she agreed—the tradition is what keeps her coming back, as does that Cheers atmosphere.
“They’ve got the best fish here,” Peterson said. “Everything is great, you get to know everybody. It’s like family.”
And while you’d think that after over 170 years of service, things have changed, the main formula still hasn’t.
“You have to stick to your core values, you have to stick to great quality food and great quality service,” Chris said. “You can tweak things, but you still have to stick to that formula.”
For over 170 years, Van Abel’s of Hollandtown has been serving with family at the forefront, and that’s because it’s not just a business for Chris and Ann—it’s home.
