WALWORTH COUNTY — Though it's usually filled with music, the pavilion at Badger Bob's Bar and Grill has been quiet for the past year. The owner says it's a result of fighting permit changes and zoning rules that could affect the future of outdoor music for bars and restaurants across all of Walworth County.
Bob Johnson bought Badger Bob’s in 2020 but tells TMJ4 the local bar has been in that spot for 80 years.
“I refer to this as a family-friendly bar,” Johnson said. “Growing up here in the neighborhood and being born here with the family farm still up the road, I thought it was a good opportunity. And it turned out to be a good opportunity until about a year ago.”
Johnson said a year ago is when changes in regulations started impacting his business, specifically where people can park and if live music can be played in the pavilion.
“That’s the reason I bought the place, I wanted a local establishment for people to go enjoy themselves and have fun. You get people from all ages, especially on a Friday night, listening to a one-person guitarist, having fish, having a great meal, and dancing outside under the pavilion.”
However, those moments are now harder to come by according to the bar owner.
A local group called Residents Against Amplified Music INC., brought concerns over live music to the county board who have since stepped in.
TMJ4 reached out to the group over the phone and in person but they refused to comment.
Since their involvement, the board is now using public assembly zoning rules to regulate restaurants and bars. Those rules were originally put in place for large-scale music venues like Alpine Valley or Country Thunder.
Many of those regulations are nearly impossible for small businesses to meet.
“The bar has always had music, inside and out, the bar’s always had the same size parking lot,” said Johnson. “There’s never been any issue, until now.”
It's not just business owners who are concerned. Dawn Soto is a full-time musician with the band D'Lite Duo. Her group performs over 300 shows a year, many of them outside at local businesses.
She says zoning regulations like this are already impacting other venues where she performs.
“It affects us a lot,” said Soto. “This is our livelihood, it’s what we chose to do.
To lose that revenue for ourselves, and along with the venues, it's frightening.”
The board is taking up Badger Bob's zoning request at their Thursday night meeting, where musicians and business owners will be sharing their concerns with the board.
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