Play harder for Champs' 40th anniversary
Let's start with a favorite story, the kind from which memories are made. Bill and the boys, Kyle and John, along with Uncle Lee, parked their Harleys out back and made their way into Champs' beer garden for burgers and suds. On their way to a big Harley Homecoming celebration in Milwaukee, Champs presented the perfect spot – including a four-way free throw shooting contest – for a mid-day break.
Safe bet: Tens of thousands of satisfied customers have similar stories to tell.
The word iconic is overused yet sometimes appropriate. This is one of those times, as Champs Sports Bar & Grill prepares to mark its 40th anniversary, tracing its roots back to the 1980s evolution of multi-screen llve sports entertainment venues.
The late Greg Bush and his brother, Dick, opened Champs in 1986. The space, at 747 Main St. in the heart of busy downtown Lake Geneva, formerly was split into a liquor store and a bar. Greg had bar experience in Chicago. He and his brother acquired the property, knocked down the center wall and redesigned the space to accommodate their vision of a relatively new trend, the sports bar.
It came natural for Greg, a multi-sport letterman in high school who went on to play basketball at DePaul University for the legendary Ray Meyer.
"Sports bars were just starting to become a thing," said Grace Licht, Greg's daughter who co-owns Champs with her sister Jes Christenson. We sat down with them at a window table overlooking Lake Geneva's busiest street to talk about the 40th anniversary. The first thing that becomes obvious is the pride they take in the business and their late father's legacy.
Jes says her favorite part is, "The people, and the fact that my dad started it. Everything that he put into it."
Grace adds, "This place just feels like family and home. It's important for both of us to carry on his legacy and keep it in the family and keep it in the community." They smile easily and love talking about family history and the commitment to the community. Anecdotes flow freely, like the "dollar shower" story.
"At midnight on New Year's Eve he (their father) would take a bunch of singles to the loft, hundreds of singles, and throw them over the balcony," Jes told us.
How did the famous free throw hoop come into play? "The high ceilings. Why do a pop-a-shot when we can do a full one?" Grace said, adding it's a fitting tribute to her dad's athleticism.
Then there's the onion legend. Jes found an old menu in the garage. Included was an unusual recipe. "Sauteed onions in aluminum foil were on the menu," she said. "People loved that."
Adds Grace: "This was my Uncle Dick's idea. He said when people weren't eating he had the cook put onions on the grill because everyone would get hungry with the smell."
Champs was not the family's only Lake Geneva business. The Bushes also owned the Cactus Club restaurant, in the space now occupied by Tuscan.
That story leads to a discussion about another point of family pride, the longtime tenure of the core leadership team at Champs.
"The chef from the Cactus Club loved our dad and he came over to Champs," Grace said. "He's still here. He's been working for our family longer than I've been alive."
That's Amador Aranda, kitchen manager, who has been with the company more than 30 years. As has Raymie Juchems, general manager. Deneen Lichtenhauer, assistant general manager, has logged more than 15 years.
Such longevity is unusual in these days when businesses often struggle to find and keep associates. Asked for the family secret, the sisters laugh and point to the company motto.
"We work hard, we play harder." From the beginning Champs has been known for its willingness to participate in eff orts to help the community, getting behind a wide variety of charitable events. Both say their father started the practice, and it matters to them to keep it going. They also point out that Champs is open 365 days a year, to be there for the people.
"There's a lot of people in the community that don't have family around (at Thanksgiving, or Christmas)," Jes said, adding it's important to them to provide a space for folks who may be alone. And, she said, "It's packed."
In preparation for the 40th anniversary party (see the If You Go info box) the property has been refreshed with ceiling work, loft renovations and updated decorating. We asked what keeps them investing and holding onto their Lake Geneva roots.
"It's growing up here," Jes said. "Our roots and the lake. You can't beat it. Why do I live here? You get on the boat and know, 'This is why'."
"It's such a close community," Grace said. "We have a family here at Champs. We're involved in the high school, the grade schools. Being able to support the community."
We got a preview of the updates, the apparel and other swag, the party plans and menu.
Plan to stop by, to remember the good times. And make new memories.
Stephanie Klett is the president and CEO of Visit Lake Geneva, and the former Secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Tourism. Her husband, Bill Barth, is the former editor of the Beloit Daily News, and a member of the Wisconsin Newspaper Hall of Fame.
