---

     
 Good Places to Eat & Drink in the Northwoods...

---

 Good Places to Eat & Drink in the Northwoods main page

 Trigger a memory - maybe we'll post it! Email us at tomcat7918@charter.net

The Lakewood Cafe & Hotel was originally built around 1900. A fire destroyed the wooden structure in 1923. By 1925, the brick structure, as it sits today, was rebuilt and owned by the Rankin family. It was built primarily as a hotel for salesmen coming through on the train. The dining area was used mainly for the hotel guests. The Rankin family had the hotel until the 1940's and then sold it to the Reda Family. The Reda's remodeled the downstairs and opened it up for public dining.

In the latter part of the 1940's, the Lakewood Cafe & Hotel was sold to Violet Crawford (a niece to Mrs. Dave Biller, great-grandmother to Jill Petit). In 1957, Merle and Lucille (aunt to Jill Petit) Murphy purchased the hotel. In 1975, the Lakewood again changed hands to Ken and Lois Mensching. The Menschings sold the business to Lester and Virginia (another aunt to Jill Petit, and sister to Lucille Murphy) Langille in 1978. The Langilles owned the business until Larry and Jill Petit purchased it in 1997. Jill and Larry are still the current owners. The Lakewood Hotel & Cafe has been in the Biller family for approximately 60+ years.

The Petits purchased the old Babcock Dentist and Biller Realty building next door. They tore it down and added the addition and the deck as it appears today. During the renovation, restrooms were added downstairs (patrons would have to use the hotel bathrooms located upstairs). The kitchen was remodeled to accommodate the larger dining area.

There have been a lot of physical changes to the Lakewood Cafe & Hotel in the last 80 years, but the friendly atmosphere has remained the same.