The Tower Cafe has a pretty unique idea, in a pretty unique place
The Dudley Tower business is focusing on NY-imported bagels and exceptional customer service
Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly listed the company Bodenheimer worked for.
Ross Bodenheimer, the current owner of the Tower Cafe in downtown Wausau, isn’t what you might expect from someone who owns a restaurant. It wasn’t a lifelong dream, or anything like that.
What he had was a good idea, an opportunity and an eye for making a good business.
Bodenheimer works as a Chief Financial Officer for Envoy Logistics, which has an office in the Dudley Tower. When he noticed the empty cafe that Venado briefly occupied, he had an idea.
When he asked the landlords of the tower about it, they seemed very eager to have an occupant in the cafe. “They view the cafe as an amenity for all their tenants, so they really wanted something to be in here,” Bodenheimer says.
In addition, his daughter had an interest in starting a bagel shop.
So in July 15, the Tower Cafe was born. The cafe serves bagels — and not just any bagels, but bagels flown in from New York and made with zero preservatives. That makes the Tower Cafe unique in Wausau.
How Tower Cafe sets itself apart
Bodenheimer and his family focused on two things when starting the cafe, Bodenheimer explains.
One was customer service. “You know, one thing that my wife and I always notice is oftentimes, when we go out to eat, we're found wanting, and what we're wanting is just that good service of what I call the service of yesteryear,” Bodenheimer says. “So when we hired staff, we didn't necessarily focus on their talents, but their service and how they treat people. So we got some really good staff that want to do right for the customers and provide them with what they need.”
And the other was a slow rollout their menu, building it out slowly to work out any kinks that might come up. The menu will change seasonally too - with fall’s arrival, soups and chili will find their way on the menu.
That menu includes those New York bagels Bodenheimer says he and his family found after trying numerous samples and doing extensive research. The first part of the menu focused on the bagels and sandwiches made from them. As they got that down, they started adding other menu items such as wraps and salads.
One of the interesting aspects at Tower Cafe is the decor - Bodenheimer opened up the space for local artist to display their work. Several local artists, including Photography by Dennis, line the walls.
The space has been steadily attracting customers. A large portion comes from various employees of businesses located in the Dudley Tower itself, and many from other downtown businesses. Next summer they’re planning to offer outdoor seating, Bodenheimer says.
Although Bodenheimer doesn’t have a background in restaurants, his work as a CFO gives him a pretty good sense for the dollars and cents, something that’s pretty important for a successful business.
The Tower Cafe is Monday through Friday 7 am to 2:30 pm in the first floor of the Dudley Tower. Learn more on the cafe’s Facebook page.
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