Brewtanical Garden, Three Lakes
Brewtanical Garden blooms as a community hotspot
First established in 2022, The Brew Station tap house opened next door to companion business the Supply Station, a liquor store, in downtown Three Lakes. The synergy between these two businesses was undeniable.
Owners Dan and Gina Stehl added the Brew Station to their repertoire as a community gathering spot and an extension of the Supply Station in some ways. The Brew Station has craft beer on tap, and the Supply Station has more in the beer cave if customers would like to take some to go.
In the back of The Brew Station was an underused, muddy back patio with an adjacent parking lot. The Stehls had the idea that this could be the third point in the trifecta of symbiotic hops-focused businesses supporting downtown Three Lakes. They imagined a space that improved practical items, like parking and utility access, while also enhancing the ambiance of the Northwoods and creating an outdoor community hotspot—and thus, the idea for the Brewtanical Garden was born.
They entered the Main Street Place Makeover Contest, designed to raise awareness of efforts to revitalize downtowns across the state. The Brew Station—eligible due to its status as one of Wisconsin’s 90 Connect Communities—ultimately beat out dozens of entrants and four other finalists to claim the top prize. The business was awarded assistance from WEDC staff and landscape architects from Ayres Associates, as well as $5,000 towards the project.
Community support boosts enthusiasm
The Brew Station’s business has been community-minded from the beginning. Not all Northwoods businesses are open year-round, but the Supply Station and the Brew Station are, and were intentionally designed to fill that gap and complement other downtown businesses. Carry-in food is not only accepted but promoted at the Brew Station, supporting downtown restaurants in the community as well as other community gatherings within its indoor space.
Partially driven by community feedback, the Stehls heard that an outdoor gathering place was sorely needed, and they came up with a plan to fill that gap. The Brew Station had a parking area in the rear that they proposed transforming into an outdoor beer garden, allowing customers to enjoy the outdoors year-round.
Partnering with WEDC and landscape design consultants from Ayres Associates , they laid out plans for the new outdoor Brewtanical Garden .
This space includes a patio with room for children to play, a yard for guests with four-legged friends, and the ability to accommodate larger events that weren’t a good fit for the indoor space. The community embraced this solution with enthusiasm.
A strong downtown supported by strong businesses
Three Lakes has an integrated downtown, with various businesses collaborating to meet the community’s needs. The Beer Station is a quintessential example of this: a business that loves its community and wants to help it thrive.
Businesses throughout the community supported creation of up the Brewtanical Garden, and it was a collaborative effort. At the opening, Dan Stehl remarked, “Everyone at the Brew Station—Gina and I as owners and our amazing staff—thank the Three Lakes community for their continued support and enthusiasm for this project. The excitement and anticipation this contest generated was beyond our expectations. Creating the Brewtanical Garden was a true labor of love. We thank our family and friends, and all the local businesses that provided materials. We couldn’t have done it without them.”
