LaCrosse’s Grillbilly closes after one year

Almost a year to the day after it opened, the Grillbilly Cafe in LaCrosse closed.

Dionne and Joe Evans, along with friends and family, worked for months refurbishing the former Teapot Cafe in downtown LaCrosse to provide the town with a restaurant. They opened on May 29, 2013.

“We appreciate everybody coming in,” Dionne Evans said. “We just can’t do it any more.”

Evans operated the cafe with her husband, Joe. Other family members and friends also helped out.

On the Grillbilly’s Facebook page, an announcement was posted May 28.

“Well, it is with a heavy heart that we announce new plans for the Grillbilly Cafe. Joe and Dionne are stepping back from running the cafe to follow the other half of their plan. They have been very busy with catering, and so they have closed the cafe side in hopes that the LaCrosse Community Pride will be able to locate a new operator in a timely manner.

“We have loved being part of the Grillbilly, and all of the support we have enjoyed this last year. We will have one more blow out party the Saturday of Farmers Festival. We would love to see you for breakfast or dinner that day to thank you in person.

“Continue to watch for updates and the plans for Grillbilly Catering Company.”

“The catering side has really taken off,” Evans said. “So I guess we’re switching gears. We can set our schedule so that it coincides with the farm.”

“It’s very costly to run the restaurant,” Evans said.

Food supply prices increased almost daily, she said, noting that the cost of bacon increased $15 per case in one week.

Evans said she also is dealing with health issues that now prevent her from working long days in the cafe.

“It’s nothing against LaCrosse,” she said. “The Community Pride has been great. We remodeled, and now there’s a beautiful place for someone to have a nice restaurant. I appreciate everybody’s help and kindness.”

LaCrosse Community Pride board member Gary Wargo said the small town was happy to have a cafe in town.

“LaCrosse Community Pride and the entire community is sad and disappointed that they’re closing because a lot of people did go there and eat,” he told the Gazette Monday afternoon.

“LCP is actively looking for another operator and we’re looking forward to it reopening as soon as possible,” he said.

Wargo also noted that Evans will participate in the Farmers Festival later this month.

Evans said eight to 10 people were helping in the kitchen during that first week of operation. She also said she worked from 16 to 18 hours per day the first week the cafe was open.

In January 2013, LaCrosse Community Pride board members chose Evans, who lives in Hay, to operate the restaurant that’s next door to the bank.

Evans, along with her mother, Jeannine Henley-Larkin, worked hundreds of hours refurbishing the cafe.

Evans also said the project was a community effort, with many volunteers, including high school students, pitching in to help.

They completely gutted the kitchen and removed old flooring down to the original wood.

The last renovation project that delayed the opening was replacing all the plumbing in the 100-year-old building, Evans said.

Tea Pot Cafe owners Cheri and Steven Garrett closed the restaurant in November 2012 because of personal health problems.

They operated the cafe for more than 10 years. The cafe has been a fixture on Main Street for more than 40 years.

The cafe featured gourmet hamburgers, salads and homemade desserts.

LaCrosse Community Pride purchased the cafe’s building from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.

The FDIC took over the building after it shut down the Bank of Whitman branch which occupied the bank portion of the building.

The Pride group has leased the building to Sterling Bank which opened its LaCrosse branch in July 2012. Sterling included the LaCrosse Branch in its sale of banks to Umpqua Bank.

Neither the FDIC nor the banks charged rent to the proprietors of the Teapot.

“We have to move to the next step,” Evans said. “I hope they can find someone to open the restaurant.”