Ted’s Pizza Palace to receive up to $10,000 to help give business facelift

MADISON, WI. Jan 14, 2020 – Ted’s Pizza Palace in downtown Menomonie has been named the winner in the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation’s (WEDC’s) annual Main Street Makeover Contest.

The restaurant, celebrating its 50th Anniversary in 2020, is a well-known local dining destination owned by Jim and Kim Gounaikis. A downtown mainstay, the restaurant was selected as the winner of the makeover contest based on the business’s successful track record, clear community support and the potential to refresh the interior and exterior of the building to create an enhanced dining experience that will serve the business for the next 50 years as the restaurant transitions to a third generation as son Zach becomes more involved in the business.

Ted’s Pizza will receive personalized technical assistance and up to $10,000 to implement the changes, which will include interior improvements to renovate the dining area and improve customer flow, as well as exterior enhancements to increase visibility and pedestrian engagement. The goal of the makeover is to update the building and reinforce the restaurant’s brand for new visitors to Menomonie.

A team made up of WEDC staff and professionals from Retailworks Inc. will work closely with the Gounaikis family and staff from Main Street Menomonie over the next few months to develop the shop’s new look. The improvements will be made during a 48-hour makeover event later this spring.

“Ted’s Pizza is a staple of Menomonie,” said Dustyn Dubuque, executive director of the Main Street Menomonie program. “The entire family at Ted’s is invested in our downtown, and they plan to call Menomonie home for generations to come. It is businesses like theirs that make the downtown a great place to dine and shop.”

The contest is designed to raise awareness of the Wisconsin Main Street Program, which is overseen by WEDC and provides support and training for organizations dedicated to downtown revitalization efforts. It also increases the engagement of businesses and communities within the Main Street Program and showcases the businesses that bring life to downtown districts.

Multiple nominations from a wide variety of businesses within Wisconsin’s 34 designated Main Street districts were received as part of the makeover contest in 2019. The four additional finalists were: First Class Cosmetology in Beloit, Chefusion in Green Bay, Flex & Burn in Kenosha and Kingsley Crossing in Shullsburg. All eligible applicants will receive outreach and technical assistance from WEDC community development staff and their local Main Street program to help them achieve their business goals.

“This unique contest not only provides additional support and services to the winning business, but it also highlights the benefits of the Wisconsin Main Street Program, which has resulted in the creation of more than 2,800 new businesses and 15,000 new jobs in Wisconsin since its inception in 1987,” said WEDC Secretary and CEO Missy Hughes. “A vibrant downtown is critical to the overall economic health of a community, and recognizing and assisting the small businesses that make these districts thrive is a key part of how we support these districts.”

Now in its fourth year, the Main Street Makeover Contest is an initiative of the Wisconsin Main Street Program, a comprehensive revitalization program overseen by WEDC and designed to promote the historic and economic redevelopment of traditional business districts in Wisconsin.

Communities selected to join the prestigious program receive the technical support and training needed to restore their Main Streets to centers of community activity and commerce. The Wisconsin Main Street Program, part of a nationwide program of the National Main Street Center, has been recognized nationally for its participation, initiatives and outcomes. For more information on the Wisconsin Main Street Program, visit wedc.org/MainStreet.

The 2018 Main Street Makeover winner was Annie’s Fountain City Café in downtown Fond du Lac. The 2019 makeover winner was Anthony’s 511 Barbershop in downtown Watertown.