GREEN BAY, Wisconsin (WBAY) – The end of a local family restaurant ended Tuesday night in a Facebook post announcing it will be permanently closed.
Hansen’s Dairy and Deli at the intersection of Gray and Mather Streets was the last in the Green Bay area and hadn’t opened since January due to maintenance issues, according to a sign on the front door.
“It breaks my heart to believe that this will no longer be part of the community because it was such a linchpin in my upbringing,” said Nicole Norton of Green Bay.
The Gray Street Hansen location first opened in the fall of 1955, according to the Brown County Library. There is signage in the store indicating the building and all equipment in it is for sale.
Several children playing near the restaurant remembered stopping by with family and friends.
“It’s been here since I was a little boy and I like the ice cream here, especially the butter pecans,” said 13-year-old Trevyn Breault from Green Bay.
Kyle Gustafson, 13, of Green Bay added, “I came here for breakfast with my old friend.”
Research by the Brown County Library found that at its peak there were eight Hansen stores across the Green Bay area.
The company was originally founded as a dairy farm in 1912 and in 1995 Howard Hansen sold the business to an investment group that eventually spun off the operations to focus on a growing pizza business.
Even though Hansen’s dairy becomes a product for the pages of the history books, the restaurant still holds a special place in people’s hearts.
“After not living in Green Bay for so long and now I’m back, [I realize] It’s the kind of business that created my childhood, ”Norton said.
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