Maureen Wallenfang
Appleton Post-Crescent
Published 9:02 AM EST Nov 15, 2019
Author’s Kitchen + Bar is rising from the ashes.
Its new logo, appropriately, is a phoenix.
The restaurant will return in early spring to downtown Appleton in a new location, 125 E. College Ave.
Author’s had previously been open just nine months when its building on Appleton Street was gutted by fire in March.
At the time of the fire, owners Josh Sickler and Matias Whittingslow had gotten the popular restaurant to the point of turning a profit. It was humming along and had no long-term debt.
“We had a great business,” said Whittingslow. “We were both very angry. Nine months was not enough.”
“This was out of our control. It was a wire in the ceiling that caused the fire,” said Sickler.
They didn’t think about starting over right away. But even though they had plenty of job offers, they soon came to the realization that they didn’t want to go back to working for someone else.
“We were going to give it all up? No,” said Whittingslow. “I can’t do anything else.”
Sickler agreed, and they began buying and storing equipment to resurrect their business.
They looked at about a half dozen buildings before choosing a downtown space facing Oneida Street in a building owned by Soma Corp.
But the landlord surprised them when he asked, “How about this instead? Do you want to buy 125?”
The 1890 building at 125 E. College Ave. housed a succession of restaurants and bars including Peggy’s Cafe, Sirocco’s Mediterranean Tapas, Cena and Nice Time over the last two decades.
More: The Buzz: Nice Time lounge closes in downtown Appleton
They both knew it well. Sickler had worked in the building years ago when it was Sirocco’s.
“It’s very compatible with what we had. A new building can’t compare to this,” said Whittingslow. “You have energy from the people who walked here 100 years ago.”
“There’s history to it. It’s that Old World feeling of the building. The character. It’s the woodwork and the brick,” said Sickler.
Being financially prudent, they figured the insurance money they’d gotten from the fire would only go so far. They carried no debt from the past restaurant, but they didn’t want to get overextended.
They signed a lease with an option to buy the building from Soma Corp.
“Insurance paid for personal property and lost wages for the two of us,” Sickler said. “We’re starting this with our own pennies.”
“We did it once. We can do it again,” said Whittingslow.
When the business reopens next spring, it will have the same menu and hours as before. Gift cards from the previous location will be honored.
Contact reporter Maureen Wallenfang at 920-993-7116 or [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter at @wallenfang.
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