About Rustic Roadhaus
April, 2021 - Present
The Rustic Roadhaus
Hi! I am Kurt Potter. I purchased the Rustic Roadhaus in March of 2021 and opened on April 1st. Fool's Day!!! Prior to owning the Rustic I either managed or leased 5 other bar/restaurants in the Manitowish Waters and Mercer area. They included The Pea Patch, The Circle Lily, The Wolf's Den, The Heart of the North, and lastly....The Tower Inn. I'm sure I've met several of you over the past 30 years. In 2011 I decided to take a break from the service industry and left for North Dakota to make my fortune in the oil industry. Over the next roughly 9 years learned the oil trade, was transferred to Texas and saw a great deal of our country. When Covid-19 appeared the oil industry had a small crash and there wasn't much work to be had. I decided to go home to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan for a short stay with family. After a few weeks back home, I realized how much I missed the Northwoods. I decided it was about time to come back to the bar/food industry. Three trips to Texas and a lot of miles later I had all my belongings back north. After a long search and many disappointments Teresa and I came to a purchase agreement, and here I am.
I've made a few changes to the Rustic. We are now more of a bar and grill roadhaus style business with unique burgers and chicken sandwiches along homemade pizzas, specialty sandwiches and hopefully, daily specials. We plan to start doing a limited breakfast in the near future. Stop by and give us a try.
Thanks....See ya soon.
Hello, I am Teresa Bergren Umbach and I am the owner of the Rustic Roadhaus. My husband David and I grew up in northern Illinois. That is where we met, got married and had our two daughters, Kirsten and Rachel. But we had both developed a great love of the North Woods. So, moving to Manitowish Waters was a natural for us. Shortly after we moved we purchased Harry’s Super Market, changing the name to Umbach’s Shurfine Foods. We truly enjoyed our customers and owning a business in the North Woods.
In 2001 the restaurant next door became available. It seemed natural to own both, so we bought it! David and I settled into running both businesses and raising our family. Getting to know all those who lived and visited Manitowish Waters and being a part of this community was a bonus for us.
In 2003 my husband David died suddenly of a brain aneurism. While dealing with our grief, Kirsten, Rachel and I made the decision to move back to Illinois to be close to our family. Being close to family was great but the allure of the North Woods was too much to resist and we moved back to Manitowish Waters.
Before we had moved to Illinois, the grocery store was sold; shortly after we returned to Manitowish Waters I resumed ownership of The Rustic Roadhaus. While owning a business in a seasonal area is a challenge, as everyone here can tell you, the benefits outweigh all challenges. We treasure our customers and enjoy getting to know each and everyone of them. We are constantly looking for new and innovative ways to make a visit to The Rustic Roadhaus a pleasure. We hope to see you soon!
1973-1993
COAN’S RUSTIC MANOR
Don & Marion Coan bought the restaurant in January 1973 and named it Coan’s Rustic Manor. They came up from Chicago with six children and had their seventh in 1976. the coan’s served breakfast, lunch, & dinner until they sold the business in 1993.