How, when, and why did you start your business?

Juliett opened its doors on November 19th of 2024. I had been wanting to open a cocktail bar in downtown Wausau for some time, and everything lined up at the end of last year.

What makes your business unique?

There are a lot of bars in Wausau, but I wanted Juliett to look and feel different — and I wanted the drinks to be different, too. I knew Wausau was ready for a craft cocktail-specific establishment, but I've been pleasantly surprised by the massive positive response from the community we've had.

What product/service is your most popular, or what you are known for?

Hand-crafted cocktails with a focus on house-made ingredients and creative flavor profiles has been the goal for Juliett from the start, and the menu we put together every week has been incredibly well-received. Our drinks change a little too often to nail down a "most popular," but that's a good thing! It means that people here are willing to try new things, and we want to give them that.

Why did you locate your business in the Wausau River District?

Running a cocktail bar in downtown Wausau has been my goal for many years. The River District is so vibrant, and has such a profound amount of potential. With the right investments, and the right people practicing their craft here, it can be the cultural epicenter of Wausau, and it should be!

What motivates you as a business owner?

I adamantly believe that if you give creative people room to create, great things will follow. My main goal as a business owner is to find like-minded people who want to be the best at the thing that they love, and help foster that drive and creativity. The most successful, memorable businesses are powered by passion, and it's important that we as a community try to promote that as much as we can.

How do you measure/define success?

A successful business isn't just a money-making venture. A business needs to provide something a community needs, something that's unique and special. If a business can fill that need, while at the same time making sure that it is operating in a just and equitable way (for both customers and staff), you can call it successful.

How do  you generate new ideas?

At Juliett, our creative process is a collaborative one. The bartenders, bar-backs, and myself constantly toss ideas back and forth about new drinks, new event concepts, design and glassware changes, and how to build and rebuild the menu to keep it unique and exciting. The best way to make sure an idea is going to work is to workshop it with other creative people.

Talk about your staff.

I am incredibly lucky to have the staff that I do. There are only four of us currently, but we all have had experience in the service industry in one way or another. Between the four of us, we have over 45 years of bartending experience, and I am immensely grateful that I found the people that I did. My goal is to help foster their careers into whatever future they hope to have! Alley, Cale, Zaq, you guys are the best!

What excites you most about the future of downtown Wausau?

I think the potential in downtown Wausau is massive. Like I said earlier, downtown should be the cultural epicenter of Wausau. With the Grand Theater, the 400 Block, and all the various entertainment and hospitality businesses here, I believe the area is going to get more and more interesting, and I really hope the River District can help shepherd that future into being!