New ownership promises to breathe new life into the former Boomer’s Sports Pub & Grill, N29 W24483 Watertown Rd. in Pewaukee.

The popular Pewaukee bar and grill, known for its laid back quarters and popular indoor/outdoor volleyball leagues, closed this summer after the passing of owner Tyler Pasdera who had operated the bar and grill for 22 years. 

But the Lake Country pub won’t be vacant for long, thanks to a pending purchase of the 10 acre property by the Steny family, who’ve owned and operated Steny’s Tavern & Grill, 800 S. 2nd St. in Milwaukee for the past 37 years.

Ryan Steny, whose father Jerry opened Steny’s Tavern in 1985, says they couldn’t be more excited to establish a second location in Lake Country. In fact, he says, they plan to embark upon a full renovation of the 10 acre property with hope that they can reopen the venue as Steny’s Lake Country in late spring or early summer of 2023.

A family friendly destination

Long-known as a welcoming neighborhood tavern, Steny’s Milwaukee location has evolved – and expanded – with the times.

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What started out as an 8-stool corner tavern is now an expansive sports bar and gathering place featuring a spacious bar and dining room, a three-seasons room and a scratch-kitchen which turns out a full menu of offerings including their famous housemade bloody marys, legendary wings and a popular Friday night fish fry.

And Steny says he hopes they can bring the same spirit to the new Pewaukee location, a property which he says has been on their radar for a number of years.

“We always said that, if something would ever happen and we could take over the place, we totally would,” he says.

Ryan’s wife, Brittney, says she grew up just blocks away from Boomers and played in their volleyball leagues with her family. So the notion of being able to establish a family-friendly bar and grill in the space has a great deal of appeal.

“We want Steny’s Lake Country to be the spot to meet up with all your friends,” she says. “We want it to be a place where parents can come with their kids and where folks can come to gather after the high school football games.” 

In keeping with those plans, the Stenys will be investing heavily in the existing bar, opening up the footprint and adding a state of the art kitchen which will enable them to offer a similar menu of appetizers, salads, sandwiches and housemade pizza that they offer in Milwaukee.

“We would also like to build out a kitchen that’s large enough that we can keep the option option for catering and events,” he says. 

While the indoor volleyball courts are likely to be sacrificed in favor of a larger dining area, Steny says they plan to retain the outdoor volleyball courts and hope to continue the tradition of hosting summer leagues. 

“We’d also love to activate the land with a music festival or maybe pond hockey tournaments in the winter,” he says. “Ultimately, we want to be involved with the community. We want this to be a go-to place for everyone.” 

Most of all, Steny says, they want to continue the family legacy that they’ve established at their current location.

“This is a true family business,” says Steny. “My dad opened it 37 years ago, and I grew up here. I met my wife here 10 years ago. Today two of Brittney’s sisters work for us. We love that we can work together as a family… and we love the fact that we can treat everyone who walks in here as an extension of our family.”