Manitowoc's Capone's Pub & Grill closes for good Saturday with St. Patrick's Day hurrah

MANITOWOC – A last hurrah and St. Patrick’s Day celebration is planned for Capone’s Pub & Grill, which is shutting down after bar-close time on Saturday.

“The end of an era has come,” owner Michael Wampler said in a Facebook post. “Though it is bittersweet, after 20 years it is time we say goodbye. We would like to thank all of our past and present employees for all of their hard work and dedication. We would also like to thank all of our loyal patrons for all of the love and support they have given us over the last 20 years. It is with a very heavy heart and tears in our eyes that after this St. Patrick’s Day we will be closing our doors. In true fashion, we could like to go out with a bang. So please stop down and help us celebrate this momentous occasion, our '20-year anniversary' for one last night of love, laughs and great times.”

The “Last Hurrah” party is set for 6 p.m. Saturday to 3 a.m. Sunday, at the pub, 1036 S. 10th St., according to Facebook. No one answered the phone when Streetwise called, but we will keep you posted if we learn more about the closing.

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Robinson Metal to bring jobs to Manitowoc

In happier business news this week, Lawrence-based Robinson Metal, Inc., announced the expansion to a 112,000-square-foot plant in Manitowoc at a press conference Wednesday. The move comes amid increasing sales of custom enclosures, large metal structures used to house backup power generation equipment for places like hospitals and municipalities and data centers.

The initial expansion is expected to create about 30 new jobs, with plans for 90 additional workers over the next three years, said Sam Thomas, operations manager for Robinson.

The expansion is important to Manitowoc, which saw the departure of hundreds of jobs when Manitowoc Cranes moved most of its operations to Pennsylvania in 2016 and 2017.

“To have a major employer come in and use one of the buildings, bring a lot of the workforce back into that building, and to grow and connect with a lot of the other suppliers in our area is a huge impact,” said Peter Wills, executive director of Progress Lakeshore, a regional economic development agency.

Robinson plans to start production in Manitowoc in May, with additional future expansion planned for fabrication, machine and pipe and vessel divisions as new contracts are secured.

“We’re quickly outgrowing the (Lawrence) facility and need to expand to continue to provide capacity to our customers,” Thomas said.

Prospective employees can find more information and an application at https://www.robinsonmetal.com/careers.

Beernsten's creates special candy bar for Historical Society

In one last tidbit: If the windmill design on a new candy bar produced by Beerntsen's Confectionary looks familiar, that may be because it’s the logo for the Manitowoc County Historical Society.

The famous downtown Manitowoc candy shop created a mold of the logo to craft a signature piece for the museum, which is for sale at the Historical Society’s gift shop, part of its historical village at 924 Pine Crest Road.

“What a great addition to our store,” said Historical Society Director Amy Meyer. “We think people will like them, and (they) are one of the interesting and unique things we have for sale.”

Proceeds benefit the Historical Society, a privately-funded 60-acre living history museum.

Beerntsen’s has a strong history of its own in the Manitowoc community. The store’s tradition of candy making began with Joseph Beerntsen. Before starting his business in Manitowoc, Joe had been involved in candy making in Green Bay, Chicago and Milwaukee. While in Green Bay, he had an apprenticeship at the Brenner Candy Company from 1905 to 1909. In Chicago, he worked with the Brach and Bunte candy companies before opening his own store, The Sweet Shop. 

Beerntsen’s Confectionary opened in Manitowoc in 1932 at its Eighth Street location. Joe operated the store until his retirement in 1958, passing the store on to his son, Richard. Richard and his wife, Ione, operated the candy store until 1983, when their son, Tom and his wife, Penny, took over.

In July 2003, Dean Schadrie took over ownership of the candy store.

Got a tip, comment or question for Streetwise Manitowoc? Contact reporter Patti Zarling at pzarling@gannett.com or call 920-686-2152.