Between the Lakes, a bistro-style restaurant in downtown Okauchee, has permanently closed its doors, a decision the owner calls "a casualty of a circumstance."
That circumstance, of course, is the coronavirus pandemic.
Travis Meeks, who owns the business with his wife, Ericka, said the cost and availability of food were key factors in their decision.
"We were able to do takeout but that's a very small fraction of our business," Meeks said. "It is definitely 100% due to COVID."
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The supply chain became an issue, Meeks said.
"We're known for our burgers," he said. "I actually got a better deal with my vendor because we were selling so much of their product.
"Our case price used to be $43 for a case of burgers. It is $72 right now."
When a ban on in-person dining at restaurants went into effect in March, Between the Lakes was open for five days a week for takeout.
"The first week or two was fantastic," Meeks said. "I said, 'OK, we're going to make it through.' Then gradually as people were laid off or felt more afraid with what was going on, there was less traffic. ... We ended up going down to three days a week."
Meeks said Between the Lakes' goal was always to be an affordable family-friendly restaurant.
"I cannot justify charging $13, $14, $15 for a hamburger and fries, and that's what we're going to get to," Meeks said.
Meeks thanked community members for supporting the restaurant.
"There's no doubt the community opened their arms," Meeks said. "They really did support and want us there. Just from a business standpoint I don't foresee that being a sustainable trend."
Between the Lakes opened in September 2018.
"We made a tough decision," Meeks said. "I've got my family to take care of. We have four children. It's just something we can't gamble on. We spent the last 18 months building a brand and I think we did a great job. I don't look at this a failure on our part by any means. We're a casualty of a circumstance."
Contact Evan Frank at (262) 361-9138 or evan.frank@jrn.com. Follow him on Twitter at @Evanfrank_LCP.
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'It is definitely 100% due to COVID': Between the Lakes, a bistro-style restaurant in Okauchee, has closed - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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