Kenosha's 'Beer Gardens' change hands in New Year's ceremony

 

KENOSHA, Wis. (CBS 58) -- 2025 will truly bring new beginnings for a longtime Kenosha business. Randy and Lissa's Beer Gardens, known to many here as simply "the beer gardens," will officially have new owners on January 1. In the final hours before the sale become official, Randy and Lisa Gittens ceremoniously handed off the business to new owners, Steve Rosenberg and Lori Lamere.

The Gittens said New Year's Eve felt like the perfect occasion for a passing of the torch. Even before they bought the bar in 2018, the tavern hosted an "Old Farts" party during the afternoon and early evening on each New Year's Eve.

"We start the party at 2:00. We do our toast at 6:00," Randy Gittens explained. "Happy New Year for everybody. 7:00, last call, everybody leaves, and we get to go have dinner and enjoy ourselves."

The Gittens said they wanted more time they could enjoy for themselves. Lissa works as an office coordinator while Randy is a production manager for a medical supply company. They decided about six months ago running a bar on top of their professions was a bit too much.

"We have full-time jobs, so we are ready to just continue those full-time jobs," Lissa Gittens said. "Our son is in college, and we want to be able to enjoy his college life, as well."

Rosenberg and Lamere were happy to step in. Rosenberg said as a lifelong Kenosha resident, he wanted to play a bigger part in the community while Lamere said her in-laws were longtime bar owners.

"We just started talking with Randy and Lissa. We've known them off-and-on for several years, so we started talking more intensely," Rosenberg said. "And it just became more appealing and really took off from there."

Dating back to the 1950s when it was known as "Wisconsin Beer Gardens," the incoming owners plan to keep the tavern's signature traditions, from Friday Fish Fry to the bar's name.

"Most of my adult life, it was known to me as Sir Arthur's Beer Gardens," Rosenberg said. "Most recently, it was Randy and Lissa's Beer Gardens, and starting [Monday], it's the Kenosha Beer Gardens."

The Gittens said they won't be strangers since they only live about a block from the tavern. Lissa said she grew up running around the tavern when her family took her as a child. She got emotional when asked what she'll miss most about owning the popular bar.

"Our customers, for sure, definitely," she said with her eyes starting to water. "We've made a lot of friends through this journey. They've been here for us for six years and we've made it through a lot of tough times, so we appreciate them."