Waukesha Chamber Top 10 businesses: Weissgerber’s Seven Seas
The employee roster at Weissgerber’s Seven Seas in some ways reads like a family tree, with children of former employees now working at the restaurant.
Keeping it in the family as such is one of the reasons Seven Seas is known as one of the most popular fine dining restaurants in the area. Owners Jacob (Jack) and Linda Weissgerber have a coveted business tool: employee loyalty.
"A lot of our young employees start out with us dishwashers or bussers and end up staying with us four, five, six years," Jacob Weissgerber said. "We know and trust them because they grew up with us. Some of their mothers worked with us 20 years ago."
The Seven Seas restaurant facility was built 100 years ago on Lake Nagawicka in Delafield, and the Weissgerbers purchased it in 1981. The restaurant is known for its fine dining as well as for its location, which features dramatic lake views. Three years ago, the owners added 16 boat slips that are free for customers to use while they dine.
The menu features seafood, steaks and other "land and sea" entrées, with the recent addition of a sea bass chipotle. Veal Madagascar, a popular menu item in the 1960s, was reintroduced to the menu this year. The restaurant also revamped its steak selections this year, providing customers with the choice of filet mignon, New York strip and t-bone cuts and three different presentations. Diners can choose to have any of the cuts broiled with sautéed mushrooms; "four seasons," topped with sautéed peppers, onions, mushrooms and tomatoes; or au poivre.
To complement the entrées, diners can select from more than 500 wines. The restaurant recently expanded its wine list from 250 to 500 wines, making it the most extensive wine list in the state, Weissgerber said. The restaurant’s wine cellar was remodeled about three years ago, and it now holds about 10,000 bottles.
On the menu, house specialties feature the bin and glass number of the wine recommended for each entrée.
Seven Seas has won the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence the last 10 years, and Weissgerber has his sights set on the magazine’s Best Award of Excellence.
Weissgerber’s recent business challenges are of a positive sort – the kind that come with expansion. The restaurant introduced this year a new casual menu that is served Sunday through Thursday in the Sunset Deck and Lounge. It also added a piano bar which is open Thursday through Saturday.
"It was a challenge to get the kitchen squared away with the new casual menu items and to make sure procedures adjusted smoothly with the piano bar. But we’re growing, and that is something you can’t complain about," Weissgerber said.
Company name: Weissgerber’s Seven Seas Restaurant on Lake Nagawicka
Location: 1807 Nagawicka Rd., Delafield
Year established: 1981
Type of business: Restaurant
Main products/services: Fine and casual dining, group accommodations for up to 300
Number of employees: 16 full-time, 85 part-time
Business words of wisdom: "Stay in touch with your operation and with your people. Otherwise you lose control and you lose loyalty."
June 27, 2003 Small Business Times, Milwaukee
