MUSKEGO, Wis. — A fire destroyed the Bass Bay Brewhouse in Muskego early Friday morning, leaving a local family without their business and home just weeks before Christmas.
Around 6 a.m., a chef arriving for work discovered smoke and called 911, according to an employee of the owners. The family, including two small children, lived in a residence attached to the restaurant and lost everything in the blaze.
"There was a 3 and 4-year-old toddler that lost everything," said Matthew Budnik, a family friend.
The Bass Bay Brewhouse is owned by Ryan Oschmann and his business partner, Andy Meinen. The restaurant has been in the Oschmann family for decades before the partners took it over and remodeled it.
"I remember them building it. They took down a bar and used all the reclaimed lumber for the inside of it, but their blood, sweat and tears literally went into it," Budnik said.
The restaurant became a community gathering place over the years, with neighbors frequently visiting for special occasions and celebrations.
"We were there for birthdays," said Diana O'Reilly, who lives nearby.
"It was kind of like you go there for a special occasion," said Colette Jungbluth, another neighbor.
Beyond the devastating loss for the Oschmann family, the fire will impact numerous employees who are now without jobs right before the holidays.
"A lot of other people are going to be impacted as well," Jungbluth said.
The tight-knit Muskego community is rallying to support the affected families. Two separate GoFundMe campaigns have been established. One for the restaurant and the employees is found here, and the second, for the family's personal losses, is here. Local businesses, including the Milk Can and Jimmy John's in Muskego are also collecting donations in person.
"It is a tight-knit family, and everyone is devastated by this loss," Budnik said.
"It is a tragedy. It is a family restaurant and everyone who lives here has gone here," O'Reilly said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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