'We watched our future burn to the ground': New business stalled after Kenosha fire destroys building

KENOSHA, Wis. (CBS 58) -- A former bar in Kenosha was destroyed early Tuesday morning in a fire.

It happened at the old Uncle Mike's Highway Pub on 120th Avenue off I-94.

The building was in the process of being transformed into a new business.

"We don't know what's next. This was what was next. This was our future," said Kelly Deem, owner of Elsie Mae's Sweet Shop. "We had been here, working 24 hours a day, day and night. There's even paint still on my glasses."

Kelly Deem opened Elsie Mae's Canning and Pies in Kenosha in 2010.

She moved in 2020 to Milwaukee, then to Lake Mills, and was set to return to Kenosha this spring to open Elsie Mae's Pies and Pints.

"We were bringing together a place where you can enjoy a lot of like - our Bloody Mary mix, and our drink mixes with pies," Deem explained.

She and her husband purchased the former Uncle Mike's Highway Pub in March, planning to open on Mother's Day.

"We were ready. Just yesterday we had received all of our final licensing and permits," Deem said.

After working on renovations Monday night, they took a nap in the building next door and woke at 3 a.m. to Kenosha police.

"They're like, 'You gotta get out, your building's on fire,'" Deem said. "We're like, 'It's not on fire. We were just literally over there two hours ago. It's not on fire.'"

They ran out to see a small flame on the roof, and watched it grow.

"Where it was, up in the attic, they decided - and with the wind - that it was not safe to save the building," Deem explained. "So, we watched our future burn to the ground."

Deem said firefighters think the cause was a light fixture. It's still under investigation.

She's devastated, but said the outpouring of support has been incredible.

"In 2020, we had a motto: 'Can't stop, won't stop. That's how we roll,'" Deem said. "So, we'll just keep going."

A fundraiser has been started for Elsie Mae's. You can find it here.