Local Business: Meet Tom Andera of Karl Ratzsch's

Wisconsin: home of the Packers, beer, and some of the best German food around. Patch caught up with Tom Andera, one of the owners of Milwaukee’s iconic restaurant, Karl Ratzsch’s. Diners have been flocking to the German restaurant since 1904 and while the Ratzsch family has retired from the business, the new owners are proud to carry on the time honored tradition of serving great food in a welcoming environment.

What have you learned while starting and operating your own business?

My 2 partners (executive Chef John Poulos and Office Manager Judith Hazard) and I purchased the restaurant after managing it for the Ratzsch family since the early 1990’s.

The most important thing I have learned since then is the value of listening to your customers and taking action accordingly. As managers we were always asked to offer a Friday Fish Fry, which is a must in Wisconsin. The owners at the time wanted no part of it and would not add it to the menu.

As new owners one of the first things we did was to add a German style Fish Fry that became an instant hit and was reviewed by the local newspaper critic as the “classiest and best” in the state.

What was the biggest thing that surprised you as a business owner?

While as managers we always worked long hours, after purchasing the restaurant I was surprised by how many more hours were needed to successfully operate while maintaining our standards.

What’s the best part of owning your own business?

As an owner you don’t really have to answer to a higher authority, however your guests do become the ultimate authority.

How important is it for people to support independent business owners in their community?

With the ever-encroaching chain restaurants, fewer independents remain each year. The challenge is to provide an experience that cannot be duplicated anywhere else. With a chain restaurant you can be in any city and have the same cookie cutter experience. Independents need to celebrate their uniqueness.

What do you love about being an American business owner?

The opportunity that is provided to follow one’s dream cannot be overstated. While it is true that there are many government regulations for the foodservice industry, it is balanced by the knowledge that your restaurant meets community standards.

Are there any traditions that have been passed down over the years that your business follows when it comes to pleasing the client?

Since Karl Ratzsch’s is now 110 years old, traditions are the very fiber of our being. Our recipes have been in the Ratzsch family for decades and decades. Nothing but the finest and freshest ingredients are used and everything is made from scratch. For example: while there are many recipes for Sauerbraten, none of the others tastes like ours. People return from vacations or living in Germany for years and continually tell us that Karl Ratzsch’s sauerbraten tastes better than anything they had in Germany!

What inspires you to get up every morning?

The restaurant business is never boring. Each day is unique and comes with its own challenges and surprises. Knowing that our guests are celebrating a special event that day or that a celebrity may be visiting only adds to the variety.

How do you ensure quality in your work?

We have systems and procedures in place that have been validated over decades. Generation after generation of returning guests provide testament to their effectiveness.

What makes for a good day at your business?

Talking with guests in the dining room and listening to their very flattering comments like “you should open a location in our city” or requesting a recipe or taking a photo so that they can make their friends feel jealous or singling out a staff member with compliments always makes my day.

What makes the people who work for your business unique?

I always try to hire people with great attitudes and genuine smiles. People with those attributes are eager for training and are very loyal. They are sincere with our guests, get along with their co-workers and happily provide the service and effort for which the Ratzsch family has always striven.