Husband and wife owners form perfect team

By City Times staff

NEKOOSA –Jenny Wicke and Jorge Torres are new business owners, but they are no stranger to the restaurant business.

The couple came from Tomahawk where they met working for a restaurant there.

“My husband and I have actually been looking for a couple of years now. I’m a waitress; I’ve been waitressing for almost 20 years. He’s a cook; he has been cooking for 15 years. We were tired of working for everybody else; you can’t make changes without everybody else’s approval, even though you are the one on the floor dealing and working with the people,” Wicke explained.

The Nekoosa business will still be known as the West River Cafe. Heather Sairs photo

The pair checked out several different places, before a call from a friend let them to Nekoosa.

“We were like, ‘Let’s go check it out.’ So, we came and checked it out. We actually worked here before it all got finalized,” she explained.

The couple found the West River Café at 1010 Market Street, Nekoosa, and began working in the business before purchasing it in early 2021.

Wicke said that the community felt like and good fit for them and ownership gives them the flexibility to make the changes they know are needed.

“Now we can change it. We can take their suggestions and ideas and make it reality here,” she said.

“Everything just kind of landed in this spot. I got to meet the people before we took over as the owner. It was nice to know them on a whole different level.

“We are a perfect team – I do the front, (Jorge) does the back.”

The couple purchased the business name along with the café to help with continuity between the previous ownership and their business, where they can continue doing what they enjoy.

“We know that we like it. We’ve been doing this our entire life,” Wicke added.

“I’ve got 20 solid years left waitressing, so I tell people ‘You are stuck with me for 20 years.’ I am here to stay.

“I love waitressing. I get up at two in the morning…I get up and I am excited to get ready for work. I’ve tried factories; I’ve tried other little things. It’s not me. You can’t stick me in a corner; I need to socialize.”

The couple has four children – three girls and one boy. Their daughter, Kiara, also helps in the business.

The café serves breakfast all day and will introduce new menus on June 8.

For more on the West River Café, find them on Facebook.