November 5, 2021 – West Bend, WI – Idle Hour or Two, 214 N. Sixth Avenue, in West Bend is closing.
Idle Hour or Two brought a little Mayberry back to Main Street. It was known for its great homemade soups and sandwiches. The menu was simple with egg salad, an Idle Hour Reuben or a Grown-up grilled cheese. The Solway Salad or Noodle Strudel were staples; good for breakfast, lunch or supper. Butternut squash soup was a seasonal favorite.
Prices were never more than $7 a sandwich or $3.50 for a cup of soup.
The interior of the business was warm and inviting with pristine hardwood throughout, high ceilings, Polish pottery, a glass atrium in the ceiling and an ornate fireplace in back. The Chmielewski’s paid tribute to the history of the downtown with large framed black-and-white photos from an era that harkened to a time when Highway 45 ran through the center of town.
Prior to opening it was November 2007 when I wrote an article as owner Greg Chmielewski was busy transforming the old Haebig Drycleaners.
Newly sanded hardwood floors, decorative leaded glass doors, and an old wooden railing saved from a building razed for the Marquette Interchange project in Milwaukee are just some of the features taking shape in the new The Idle Hour or Two at 214 N. Sixth Avenue.
Greg Chmielewski and his wife Edith are rehabbing the building which used to be home to Haebig Drycleaners.
A flier in the window of the business reads: café? Deli? Coffee shop? Gift shop? Meeting place? Ice cream parlor? Wine bar? Beer joint? Party room? Pit stop? Photo gallery? Rumor mill? Along with a natural wood burning fireplace, bad food, stale beer, cheap wine, liars, relatives by invitation only and clean restrooms. So far, no target opening date has been set.
Chmielewski held an open-door policy where people could come in and watch him work; history and politics and airplanes were some of the usual hot topics.
The business was old school. The owners notified customers when they were going to have to raise prices on the menu.
December 30, 2020: We appreciate your business now, more than ever. We have found that due to the current economic conditions, we do need to make a slight change in our pricing. This price increase is not very big but will help us make it through this crisis. The new prices will go into effect January 2.
The Idle Hour or Two was a cash business; a gold crank register was used to tally a sale.
Greg and Edie will be missed.
What do you remember from your visits to Idle Hour or Two?
- I recall bringing my mother to Idle Hour and Greg came up to the table and asked her where she was from. She said Gays Mills, WI and he proceeded to talk to her all about Boscobel, the apple orchards, Viroqua, and the Mississippi. My mom laughed how spot on he was with the area where she was raised. That trip down memory lane made her feel at home.
- If business was slow and you ever needed to find Greg he would often be downstairs in his man room, sitting in a comfy recliner watching Westerns. A lot of issues of the day were warmly discussed in that lower level.
