Luis Cortes is new to the bar business, but he’s no stranger to hard work.
Cortes and his father opened Camp 51 Bar and Grill on the north side of Wausau. Many Wausau residents might remember it as Campus Pub, a designation the building had for decades.
Cortes was in the building trades. He worked for a trade show company, managing the lamination area for booths such as might be used by companies such as Samsung and LG. He also worked on mobile homes and on a farm.
But the 22-year-old had bigger dreams for himself, and when he saw that the old Campus Pub building was for sale, he jumped on the opportunity.
That was in mid-July. And since then, he and his friends and family got hard at work giving the place a refresh. The bones were solid, Cortes said. “When we first got here, it was just very dusty, so it was a lot of cleaning starting off, getting all the old stuff out, and then taking a lot of stuff off the walls, repainting all the walls, like a nice, warm color, re-staining side walls, bar top, cleaning the ceiling, making that look shiny.”
Cortes and Bar Manager Michaela Tilton told The Wausonian they wanted to launch it quietly at first, to have time to work out the kinks and figure out anything they might need to do differently. They had their first soft opening in early October. Then they started opening for special occasions, such as Packers or Brewers games.
They primarily limited it to word of mouth, they said. That “quickly turned into being very busy, because word of mouth travels fast in this town,” Tilton told The Wausonian. “Obviously, we are very grateful for that and to know that people are talking about us and enjoying the space again.”
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What’s coming for Camp 51 Bar and Grill
For right now, the bar is focusing on drinks and appetizers. (Camp 51 takes its name from the fact that it is located on Campus Drive and its proximity to Highway 51.)
But currently under construction is the kitchen, and once that is up and running, Cortes says they hope to serve a full menu including a mix of American and Mexican cuisine.
That might be a bit off because there is plenty of work to be done on the kitchen yet. And that’s okay, because they don’t want to overwhelm the staff too quickly either.
In the meantime, not only can patrons enjoy the bar, but the back patio and bar back there are open as well, photos on the bar’s social media show. Besides a patio area, the bar has connected volleyball courts too.
Patrons have already told Cortes they’re glad to see the place open again, and with a fresh look. Campus Pub closed in June 2023, leaving north siders with one fewer place to patronize.
That no longer is the case, with Camp 51 Bar and Grill open now. And soon, that side of town will have another place to eat as well.
Camp 51 Bar and Grill is located at 1110 W Campus Drive in Wausau. See the establishment’s Facebook page for hours and more information.
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