Since the beginning
Rooted in Wisconsin
Pine Isle was established as a resort 101 years ago. The bar and restaurant has survived dozens of owners, burned down once, been rebuilt, added onto, and remained largely in operation as far back as any local can remember.
The changing waterfront property landscape has made maintaining this historical parcel as a restaurant a very challenging endeavor. The property itself is valued well into seven figures. The property taxes and insurance are tens of thousands of dollars. Maintenance and upkeep are never-ending, creating a feeling that you may never catch up. Licenses, permits, and fees come from every direction.
We committed to opening this place for no other reason than we felt Three Lakes needed Pine Isle.
Our dedication to Pine Isle is not money-driven, it's community-driven. We're lifelong residents of Three Lakes who have pledged to keep this town, and Pine Isle, moving in the right direction. Opi's has created some 40 jobs this summer and around a dozen year round, full-time positions. We think that's a good start.
Our mission has been to "shop local," and we have sourced most of our meats and whatever else we can locally. By local, we mean not only Wisconsin, but within 50 miles of Three Lakes. This comes at a price, but we think it's worth it.
On the surface opening Pine Isle seems simple. Hire good people, provide quality service and cook good food at a reasonable price. Then you learn that restaurants actually pay more (yes, more) than you do for all of the same things — produce, meat, bakery, spices, all of it. Same thing at the bar. By Wisconsin law, all liquor must come from a distributor. Those prices per can (or pour) are higher than what you pay at any local store or gas station. Go figure.
When you choose to visit Opi's, please consider the bigger picture. Our prices are based on our expenses and enough profit to pay decent wages, cover the mortgage, taxes, insurance, inventory and squirrel away money for improvements down the road.
As owners, we have no expectation of taking a salary. For now, it's all going back into the business, property and people in the hope we'll never again have to say "I wish Pine Isle was open."
Thank you for supporting Opi's - Ol' Pine Isle, and thank you for supporting Three Lakes. See you at the lake.