JANESVILLE, Wis. – After nearly 37 years in operation, Janesville’s Legends Tavern welcomed patrons for the final time Saturday afternoon.
Owner Tim Millis said the event is a mixed bag of emotions.
“It’s been a little bit of a roller coaster,” Millis said. “Everyone says congratulations, but I don’t know if I need to be congratulated for closing this place down.”
Millis can still remember opening for the first time on April 1, 1984.
“I didn’t think six months ahead, much less 37 years ahead,” he said. “I had no clue.”
On Saturday, patrons packed the Main Street establishment one last time.
“My wife and I pulled out of my driveway today, and I said ‘This is the last time we’re coming to Legends’,” Millis said. “That’s when it kind of hit me, the reality of it all.”
The property, however, won’t stay closed for long.
On May 15th, it’s scheduled to open with an entirely new purpose – an upscale wine bar.
“It’s an adventure for sure. It’s a challenge,” said Janesville native Greg Hughes, who will own and operate the Genisa Wine Bar. “I want to do something to honor my parents. They’re both deceased and I was close with both of them. My mother was a full-blooded Italian and I’ve always attached to that well.”
Hughes says he envisions the wine bar as a place for people to gather, hold events, and enjoy the beauty of both downtown Janesville and the Rock River.
Hughes, who graduated from Craig High School, owns several other bars in Janesville. None of them, however, required as much of an overhaul as Genisa will. The 148-year-old building’s second and third floor haven’t been touched this century, and Hughes plans to convert them into event space as well as a luxury condominium.
“(The second and third floor) were very much depleted. No electrical. No infrastructure or anything. The floors, everything’s being rebuilt to be historically preserved,” Hughes said. “It’s a challenge, and I want to do something great for the city of Janesville.”
Hughes says he’s hopeful the wine bar could become a downtown attraction capable of drawing in customers from throughout the state.
“I’d like it to be a beacon for people who hear about it,” he said. “If you’re coming from Madison, or Milwaukee, Chicago or Rockford, Janesville hasn’t been much of a destination. It’s been a stopover off the interstate. I want this place to be a destination so people say ‘Hey, we’ve got to go try that place. We’ve got to go check it out’.”
Millis says while closing the doors to legends is difficult, he’s excited for what’s to come.
“I know it’s going to move into a new era, a new place,” he said. “It’s going to be something that’s great for Janesville.”
In the meantime, he says he’s grateful for the outpouring of support he’s seen.
“Thank you to everyone who’s come in the doors,” he said. “It’s a good place to gather, to make new friends, to make lasting relationships. It’s not a goodbye, it’s just hello to a new beginning for everyone.”
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