Our Story
Living in Northern Wisconsin did not appear to be in the future of Max Kreuz when he was born in Germany in 1902. A child prodigy, he played his violin for German royalty at the age of 3. As a young man, he immigrated to America where he played professionally in Chicago with the opera...also playing with the WGN orchestra. He was what one could say, set for life. But something seemed to be missing...as he dreamed of living in "God's Country." When Max and his wife, Gesina, traveled to Wisconsin, they became attached to lakes in the New Auburn area.
Acquiring several properties during those years, they finally purchased a home on a private lake and a large parcel on Long Lake where they operated a resort that also rented rooms and cabins and served evening meals. After several years, the couple sold it but kept several feet of lakeshore frontage.
It was along that shoreline that Max's Resort became a reality. In 1950 he and Gesina built three cabins to rent out and a small restaurant and bar that included a screened-in porch for customers to purchase ice cream novelties. Together with their first-born child, Dolores, (Dody) they opened the business offering beer, hamburgers, fries (always freshly ground beef) and other sandwiches along with ice cream treats like malts and sundaes. As the years progressed, they enlarged five different times to include inside bathrooms, (outdoor bathrooms for seasonal bars were common then) a small living quarters for summer use, a hand-carved liquor cabinet, wooden booths, and a screened-in patio complete with carved violins. They also enclosed the ice-cream porch to enlarge the kitchen area. The word was spreading about Max's, and more items were added to the menu such a a variety of appetizers, chicken, fish, and pizza.
It was a busy time for Max's every day. Opening daily from early April to late October for many years was the norm with midnight often becoming the closing time. With the help of Dody and their now younger daughters, Darlene and Maxine, they painted their fleet of wooden boats (later replaced with aluminum boats), repaired the wooden ramps, cleaned the bar and cabins, and attended to the lawn....accomplishing whatever needed to be done. During some years, they also had to perform extra maintenance tasks as painting the buildings, trimming the trees, and rip-rapping the shoreline. In addition they undertook the tasks of selling live bait, souvenirs, and gas for motorboats. They even rented boats early in the morning when fishermen knocked on the door. Breakfasts were served to customers from 6 a.m. to 11 a.m. at which time their parents joined them, coming from their home about five minutes away. By that time, the lunch crowd began to arrive and occupy a good share of the afternoon. Since there were so many resorts in the area, the tourists were anxious to seek out places to eat and drink while on vacation. The hamburgers and malts became so popular that, at times, it was difficult to keep up with demand. Max tended bar while Gesina and the girls cooked, made malts, washed dishes, and served customers...every day. It became a profitable business for the family...and a fun but demanding time for all of them too. They became optimistic that Max's would last "forever."
A main attraction for Max's was, of course, Max. A very talented musician and natural entertainer who finally decided by this time to retire from his professional work in Chicago, played his violin for customers who came to eat, drink, and listen to his music....all at the same time. Max enjoyed playing with songs on their jukebox which contained a majority of tunes ranging from a lively Sweet Georgia Brown....to Fascination...to Moon River...to Ave Maria. Weekends were so busy that the daughters stood ready to fill coolers immediately as the crowd did not even allow much standing room. It was somewhat magical...with Max's seeing such a mixture of persons from all walks of life and from all over the country...and even the world. Local and out-of-state families came daily...some on vacation...and many from the Chippewa Falls and Eau Claire area. In those days, drinking laws were not as restrictive as they are today. On some occasions, one could even see the bar filled with groups of Catholic nuns, brought by church volunteers, to eat, drink, and listen to Max's violin. What a sight to watch the expressions of other customers coming at that time. It was not uncommon also for large numbers of motorcycle gangs to stop in. At those time, Max asked for quiet...and respect was instantly shown. Suddenly it was not a bar....it was a concert hall.
For years, Max's thrived as a seasonal business. Dody, Darlene, and Maxine...all teachers by then....worked there every summer. They watched as the business grew with certain things that became traditions that continued until the very last day of Max's closing. In the 1990's customers began designing and making Max's shirts with a Max's logo and a saying on the back such as "Take it to the Max". Max also started to give children tootsie rolls as a reward....which expanded to buckets of various candies worth points. When they finished their meals, kids were able to choose candy worth 5 points..or if they were wearing a Max's shirt made during those years, the candy was doubled. Most children learned and wore a shirt when coming to Max's. Even when those youngsters returned as adults, they all remembered the candy they received. Another regular event that began with Max and continued to the end was a "goodie-goodie" shot and song which occurred with many larger groups.
It looked like Max's may last "forever.: Max and Gesina wished that Max's Resort would go through more generations...and with the love that the daughters had for it, it looked like it may happen. Things began to change, though, as Max and Gesina grew older, and Max developed cancer. He was still in the bar but unable to play the violin as much. Max died in 1987 at the age of 85. Gesina and her daughters continued the business but opened less days each week to enjoy more time on the lake and with their families. The hamburgers and malt crowds still came often, but it was becoming more tedious for the "never quitting worker" Gesina. She died in 2001 at the age of 86. The daughters kept going...but lessened the expanded menu to homemade pizzas only...along with malts. They could not have imagined how popular the pizzas would become. Then Dody died in 2017 at the age of 81. Darlene and Maxine strived to press on but with only those two available, they had to halt making malts and open at designated hours on weekends only. As they approached Max's Resort and Bar's 70th year in business in 2020, they came to a decision that they believed would never have to be made.
The entire Kreuz family loved Max's....despite the work and the time it took to succeed at the business. It was like a member of the family....an establishment that became part of them. With both sisters now in their 70's and the work involved running the bar, they knew in their hearts that something different had to happen. A special couple on the lake, Rich and Laurie Kracum, had always been an important part of Max's...coming as a family throughout the years.. Laurie's parents had owned a cabin on Long Lake and had been visiting Max's since Laurie was a young girl in the 50’s. Rich and Laurie also hosted bands, family events, and private parties at Max's. As the sisters pondered their time to retire they suggested to laurie and rich to take it over. They agreed happily to keep Maxs going for the lake and surrounding community.
It seemed to be the right time...if there was ever to be a right time. The original Max's lasted 70 years. Now it was time for a new Max's On The Lake to emerge....to become Max's "forever"!