Wisconsin Big Boy in Sussex will close July 14, reopen in Wisconsin Dells this fall

Wisconsin Big Boy in Sussex will close on Sunday, July 14, owner Katie Johnson-Rizer has announced. It’s expected to reopen in Wisconsin Dells this fall under new ownership, she said.

Johnson-Rizer also owns The GOAT, which is next door to the Big Boy restaurant at N63 W23675 Main St.

In a letter posted on the Big Boy Wisconsin Facebook page, Johnson-Rizer said the reason for the closure is The GOAT needs more kitchen space.

“After opening the GOAT, we have quickly realized the current kitchen space that Big Boy occupies is needed to successfully handle the volume of The GOAT,” Johnson-Rizer said in the post. “While we are sorry to see Big Boy go, we will now be able to rewrite The Goat menu and add a few burger options, which have been requested by our patrons.”

Big Boy returned to Wisconsin after 26 years in Germantown in July of 2021 under owners Chaz Hastings and Scott Carleton. It stayed open in Germantown until it closed in October of 2023 with plans to reopen in Sussex. That happened two months later.

Johnson-Rizer said she became the owner of The GOAT and also of Wisconsin Big Boy in Sussex in May.

“We realize this will upset some people, however, our ultimate goal is to make The GOAT top-notch for the people of Sussex and beyond,” Johnson-Rizer said in the post. “We feel that making this decision is necessary to accomplish our goals.”

Johnson-Rizer said Big Boy will reopen in Wisconsin Dells sometime in the fall, and they will sell the franchise to those owners.

The GOAT is having its soft opening from 3 to 8 p.m. this week and will have its grand opening on Tuesday, July 16, according to its website.

It will then be open every day from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and closed on Mondays. It will have an outside beer garden with happy hour from 3 to 6 p.m.

The GOAT is branded as having a “trendy vibe with gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan options with new dishes featured weekly, Johnson-Rizer told the Milwaukee Journal in May.

Johnson-Rizer said everything on the menu is homemade. Menu items include funnel fries, Basque cheesecake (bacon bourbon caramel with house whipped cream) avocado BLT, stuffed mushroom with goat cheese, artichoke dip, roasted red peppers zucchini, Calabrian chili oil and cilantro oil). A braised goat tostone is on the menu, too.

Cathy Kozlowicz can be reached at 262-361-9132 or cathy.kozlowicz@jrn.com. Follow her on X at @kozlowicz_cathy.

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