- Video shows Sip Door County's recent addition
- Siblings Jennie and Fred Bexell own Sip.
- The year-round business currently employs about 21, which grows to 30 during the summer.
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story)
Some siblings from Sweden are finding success here in Door County. I’m your Door County neighborhood reporter Katlyn Holt, and I’m talking to them about their recent expansion and what they've been able to achieve in a year and a half.
"I mean, we opened as a cafe more than anything and now we're a full-blown restaurant," said Jennie Bexell, co-owner of Sip, who adds she and her brother Fred Bexell wanted their restaurant called Sip to feel like you're visiting a friend’s house.
In the beginning of November, they completed an addition and re-invented their already massive menu.
"This was a retail space prior to Sip. So, there was a little office in the back that we turned into a kitchen and pretty much the first day we were open, we realized that that is not enough space for running a restaurant," said Jennie Bexell.
Some of the most notable changes are the new kitchen and a coffee bar, as well as more seating and the installation of two handicap-accessible bathrooms.
Fred says he and his sister felt passionate about being a year-round seven-day-a-week business, for their staff, which they consider to be an addition to their family, to have a reliable place to work.
“We feel like there's a need for more places to try to stay open year-round,” said Fred, “ and you know, I feel like it's been very well received from the community.”
Sip currently has about 21 employees and during the summer, that number grows to about 30.
The Bexell's are from Sweden where Fred attended culinary school and Jennie had worked as a server and bartender, which they say made opening Sip feel very natural.
Sip also has a variety of goods available for purchase on both floors of the restaurant, adding to the whimsical feeling.
Ron Lang, a regular at Sip, says the food and ambiance of the restaurant are excellent, along with being open year-round.
“It speaks to what Door County really is and the future of Door County,” said Lang.
Both Jennie and Fred are proud of the progress Sip has made since their opening and they say they can’t wait to see how it changes in the years to come.
“Seeing people's reactions when they walk in the door, it was just a treat,” said Jennie about the recent addition, “Our goal is to just keep growing and keep learning and keep changing…”
Sip has menu items for breakfast lunch and dinner, and also hosts tons of fun social events and specials. To find out more, visit their website here.
