GREEN BAY (NBC 26) — After more than 90 years in business on Green Bay's east side, the owners of the beloved family restaurant Kroll's East are listing it for sale as they prepare to retire.
The iconic eatery has been a cornerstone of the community for decades, creating lasting memories for generations of diners who have made it their go-to destination.
"We'd come here and giggle and laugh and just have a good time," Jill Garrity remembers of her youth. She would frequent the restaurant on weekends with her friends. "Everybody knew this place. It was like, that was the place to go."
For married couple Barbara and Tom Kuemmel, Kroll's East holds special significance in their relationship. The couple has dined there often since their courtship began.
"Our first date was on Valentine's Day 1964, and we came here after our first date because that's where everybody went," Barbara Kuemmel said.
The pair graduated from Preble High School and remembers spending many nights after football games at the restaurant.
The restaurant's appeal spans generations, drawing customers for both nostalgia and quality food.
"Everybody loves to come here because it's either something from your past or it's the food," stated Barbara Kuemmel.
Realtor Zaid Jazrawi, who is handling the sale, said the business is still doing well, but the owners are ready to step back from it.
"They're just ready to retire," Jazrawi explained.
Potential buyers have two purchase options: they can buy the restaurant without the Kroll's East name and equipment for $750,000 or continue operating it as Kroll's East for $850,000.
"There's a lot of interest," said Jazrawi. "We're going to just take our time. We're not in a rush and just wait to make sure that it's the perfect scenario for the sellers."
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Regular customers like Connor Orton hope the restaurant's legacy will continue. It first opened its doors in 1935.
Orton's connection to Kroll's East runs deep, tracing back to visits with his great-grandfather when Orton would come to Green Bay from the East Coast.
"My first time here actually wasn't when I was living in Green Bay," Orton said. "[Then,] when I started living on my own, I would come here as, like, one of the few places that I had connected back to my great-grandfather, with what few memories I had of him."
The prospect of losing the restaurant saddens longtime patrons like the Kuemmels.
"We're going to miss this place," Barbara Kuemmel said.
The owners say Kroll's East will continue serving customers until a committed buyer is found.
Kroll's West operates under different ownership and is not currently for sale.
