April 9, 2026 – West Bend, Wi – Big news on the restaurant front as word arrived late Wednesday night from the owner of Jumbo’s Frozen Custard in West Bend, Wi.
“Tsunami will not be presenting my lot to the city planning commission tomorrow. I will be here to serve my customers on a daily basis for the foreseeable future.”
Jeff Kern
April 1, 2026 – West Bend, Wi – The landscape on S. Main Street in West Bend, Wi, may be losing another mom-and-pop business as a proposal will come before the plan commision next week to bring in a new franchise business.
A request will come before the City of West Bend Plan Commission on April 9, 2026, for approval of a 4,464-square-foot Tsunami Express Car Wash at 1014 S. Main Street. The address is currently home to Jumbo’s Frozen Custard, a long-running, family-owned business operated by Jeff Kern.
Kern, who has owned the property since 2003, said Jumbo’s was never a fresh start rooted in deep local ties.
“I bought the property in 2003 and we opened in May of 2004,” Kern said.
Before launching Jumbo’s, Kern built his experience in the custard world working under Bob Stamm.
“He owned Sweets Frozen Custard in Milwaukee,” Kern said. “I worked for him, and then he purchased the original Kopp’s Frozen Custard on 60th and Appleton.”
The South Main Street location of Jumbo’s carries its own history. The site was previously home to Spiro’s A&W restaurant that was lost to fire, giving Kern an opportunity to reimagine the space.
“We found this location, having been familiar with the community,” Kern said. “I thought it was time to try something on my own, as opposed to working with someone or for someone. So we redeveloped this site.”
Back in 2003 the neighborhood on S. Main Street was a little different. Coachman House Supper Club was next door to Jumbo’s. That later rebranded to Club Ten 06.
In 1948 that supper club location on South Main was home to Ott and Anne’s Custard. Later a couple of sisters bought it and changed the name to Prudy’s Restaurant.
Weiland’s “Fun” Center, which started in 1974 by David and Nancy Clark, was south of Jumbo’s and the West Bend Mutual Mall, formerly Larson’s Furniture, was across the street.
Kern remembered, when he first approached the city council about his plans for a custard shop and how there was some early pushback on design, for elements that are now considered commonplace.
“I originally had a metal roof on this building; it was the more modern thing,” Kern said. “Well, that didn’t fit the confines of city restrictions. So they wouldn’t even look at my proposal with a metal roof, so I had to shingle this.”
There was also some concern from then Mayor Mike Miller about the red letters in the LED sign. Now, computer driven LED signs are common up and down Main Street.
Despite the hurdles, Jumbo’s carved out its place in the community, continuing traditions in a family-friendly atmosphere.
“We’ve continued to serve frozen custard or frozen ice cream dessert treats,” Kern said. “We do it in a family-oriented restaurant, much like A&W did. And we’re happy that it’s been well-received to this point.”
Now, more than two decades later, the property is the subject of a potential sale.
Kern confirmed he was approached by a developer interested in bringing a car wash to the site, but stressed nothing is finalized.
“Nothing is set in stone,” he said. “I was approached by a developer that thought the site lended itself well to being a car wash. So they put an offer together contingent on city approval, number one, but also their execution and due diligence and due process from a return-on-investment standpoint.”
Kern said the coming months will determine whether the proposal moves forward.
“We’ll find out here in the early summer,” he said.
As for his own future, Kern made it clear stepping away isn’t something he’s eager to do.
“I’m not certain I’m ready to retire because I’ve always had a job in my life,” he said. “And I enjoy my customers, and I enjoy serving this community as I have since 2003.”
Still, he acknowledged the mounting pressure facing independent businesses.
“The competition moving into the area makes my business more difficult every day,” he said. “The days of one-store, one-owner locations seem to be going away. And I don’t necessarily think that’s a good thing, but it is what it is.”
For now, Kern said Jumbo’s will remain open as usual, even as uncertainty lingers.
“We are going to be open in the capacity that we function every day as long as we can,” he said. “We will be open for our customers as long as we can and as long as there’s customers that want to share an experience with me here at Jumbo.”
The proposed Tsunami Express Car Wash is on the next Plan Commission agenda for April 9, 2026. The meeting will be held in the council chambers at City Hall. The meeting is free and open to the public.
On a side note:
-In September 2025 the West Bend Plan Commission approved development of a new Culver’s restaurant at the former Omicron Family Restaurant and VisionWorks locations, 1437 and 1505 S. Main Street.
-There has been a drumbeat of mom-and-pop businesses that have closed over the past years. Most recently Husar’s House of Fine Diamonds, Omicron Family Restaurant, and Riverside Brewery to name a few.
-See plans below for proposed Tsunami Express Car Wash
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