The Wienery

Pat Starr bought the Wienery from Airaq Johnson in June of 2000 through the patronage of Pete Dodge, West Bank Godfather. The tradition of the neighborhood diner at the Wienery location goes back many years, to when Edna's served up affordable homemade meals for weary West Bankers. The Wienery was started in the early 1980s by an an entreprenuerial couple who brought Chicago dogs to the Twin Cities, Al and Jean Wohl. Jerry Petermeir bought the restaurant in 1987, engendering a loyal following of wiener lovers. Jerry sold the Wienery to Airaq in 1999. Pat added breakfast to the Wienery menu when he started working for Airaq, who then sold him the restaurant. Weeks after purchasing the restaurant, Pat met the love of his life, a bratwurst loving girl from Milwaukee named KJ. Thanks to an unplanned pregnancy two years later, KJ then became the restaurant's accountant and bookkeeper in 2002 and then its lawyer in 2008. Also thanks to unplanned pregnancy, the restaurant now has two world class dishwashers and busboys in Pat and KJ's sons - Eli and Rio.