Potential buyers show interest in keeping Schmidty’s restaurant open in La Crosse

Several people in the La Crosse area are talking about ways to keep a popular restaurant in business, after the current owner retires.

Schmidty’s Bar and Restaurant on State Road is scheduled to close on New Year’s Day, unless owner Bob Schmidt finds a buyer before then. He’s told WIZM he’s been speaking with interested parties over the past week.

“They all seem to have the same view that Schmidty’s would kind of remain the type of place that it is,” Schmidt said. “Most of them indicated that they would keep the name, and they would run it along the lines that it’s been goin’ for the last 68 and a half years.”

Schmidt announced last week that he planned to close the bar, but added that it’s possible to get a sale completed within the next month. He said there are still some people he hasn’t been in touch with yet, who have shown an interest in the business.

“I think it’s possible to get a sale before the end of the year, which would mean that there would be no closing,” said Schmidt.