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Sheboygan business news: Here are the top 10 stories of 2018 | Streetwise - The Sheboygan Press

SHEBOYGAN - With 2018 coming to a close, let's take a moment to reflect on some of the memorable Sheboygan business stories of the past year. 

1. Jolly Good Soda was dead. Then a family legacy brought back the Wisconsin-made drink. Back in October, we took a deep dive into the Random Lake-based soda brand Jolly Good. The brand started off as a side project for Krier Foods, a packaging company, but eventually became a much beloved Wisconsin staple. 

Then, because of the high demands of Kier's main business, the soda was retired in 2007.

But that's not the end of the story. 

As a tribute to his uncle, current president of Krier Foods, John Rassel, brought the soda brand back in 2015. Revisit this one and relive your Jolly Good Soda memories.

2. Sheboygan's first cannabidiol shop, Green Rx, offers oils, bath bombs, coffee, dog treats. This year, Sheboygan got a one-of-a-kind business downtown. Green Rx opened over the summer and caters to a variety of folks who want help with chronic pain, sleep problems or other issues. 

"The reason I brought this here is because I saw it as a great benefit for Sheboygan," Jared Roe, owner of Green Rx, said.

3. They're back! Rocky Rococo Pizza chain opens new store in Sheboygan. Rocky Rococo, another Wisconsin staple, once had a home in Sheboygan, but it shut down. This past summer, the famous pizza chain came back. 

In its first two weeks, the new restaurant crushed company-wide sales goals. 

Rocky Rococo was the brainchild of Wayne Mosley and Roger Brown. The name came from Los Angeles-based comedy troupe Firesign Theatre. The troupe had a character named Rocky Rococo and the men were both fans when they met each other at the University of Illinois.

They opened the first Rocky Rococo in 1974 in Madison. Today, there are more than 40 stores, most of which are still in Wisconsin.

4. Sheboygan French restaurant Rendez-Vous opens its doors. Sheboygan got a little slice of France this past fall with the opening of Rendez-Vous, a French bistro on Sheboygan's north side. 

The Press staff even ventured there as part of the Scrumptious Sheboygan lunch series. All felt both the ambiance and the food were incredibly authentic — Sheboygan's very own Little France.      

RELATED: Rendez-Vous Bistro authentically French, delicious

5. Sheboygan chef nominated for James Beard Award. 2018 was a big year for Stefano Viglietti. The Sheboygan chef, who has amassed a culinary empire in downtown Sheboygan, was nominated for a James Beard Award. 

The award celebrates the best American chefs in a variety of categories. Viglietti was nominated for best chef in the Midwest for his restaurant Trattoria Stefano.

6. I went Shebikin' on Sheboygan's first party bike. Over the summer, Sheboygan got its first pedal pub — a giant multi-person bike that allows the riders to drink while they cruise the streets of downtown. 

Justin Vannieuwenhoven is the owner, builder and operator of Shebikin' Pedal Tours. The Sheboyganite first got the idea for it after riding one in Milwaukee.

Biking and drinking may sound dangerous, but there are safety measures in place. Each bike seat has seat belts that all are required to wear during the tour and drinks can only be consumed while on the apparatus or inside the bars at which it makes stops. 

7. Sheboygan restaurant Greece e Spoon on Greek TV. The heartbeat of Greece is beating right here in Sheboygan. That's how Sheboygan's own Greece e Spoon was described when they appeared on Greek TV's Star Channel. 

In 2018, the small Greek restaurant in Sheboygan received one of the highest honors: recognition from its country of inspiration. Star Channel spent a day in Sheboygan touring the lakefront and eating Sheboygan twists on Greek food. 

8. Sheboygan gets new sushi restaurant on 8th Street. This past year, Sheboygan added a sushi restaurant to its food scene downtown. Divided into four sections, the Japanese restaurant offers a variety of different dining experiences.

Manager Cynthia Li says it was her husband's dream to open a location with a hibachi grill. The dream became a reality this past year. 

The restaurant receives fresh fish deliveries twice a week from Chicago to make traditional Japanese sushi like nigiri (raw fish on a bed of rice) and specialty sushi like the Wisconsin roll (a fried roll with salmon, tuna, crème cheese and special house sauce). 

9. Sheboygan escape room opens just in time for fall spookiness. This past Halloween was terrifying. One of the reasons was because of Escape Sheboygan, the city's first and only escape room. It opened just in time for fall spookiness. 

Escape rooms like Escape Sheboygan offer participants the opportunity to get together with friends or meet new friends and try to "escape" a room or solve a puzzle.

"We put you in a room, sometimes you're locked in, sometimes you’re not locked in," Jeremiah Reynolds, owner of Escape Sheboygan, said. "You have to solve a series of puzzles and riddles. Sometimes physical challenges, sometimes mental challenges. You need to solve those sequence of puzzles in order to achieve the goal."

10. Sheboygan auto body shop celebrates 50 years of family ownership. To end off the year, a Sheboygan business celebrated a very special anniversary. Phil and Nancy Black opened up the shop, which is on 29th Street in Sheboygan, in 1968. In 2013, their son Tracy bought the business, keeping it in the family.

Tracy and Sue have a son, Joe. He did an apprenticeship program when he was a junior and senior in high school. After graduating in 2018, he joined the family business full time as a painter.

Joe's wish is to be the third-generation owner of Dean's. 

"We know there will be challenges with all the changes that continue to take place in our industry, but we will always be ready to hone our craft and continue to grow as a company. As John C. Maxwell once said, 'Change is inevitable, growth is optional.' May the road be long before us!" Sue said.

New restaurants. Store closings. New developments. Local business. Streetwise is audience-driven business news about the Sheboygan area. Got a question or a story tip? Get in touch. Contact Marina Affo at maffo@sheboyganpress.com or find her on Twitter @marina_affo. 

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