The WGN News team did a funny little featurette at Will's involving a Bears fan who lost a bet on the NFC Championship to a Packers fan! The result... comedy. Our very own John Bunge & Kevin Kruse were featured in the bit!
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Will's Northwoods Inn News Articles, Press and Media
Will's Northwoods has received national media attention for being the #1 Packers Bar in Chicago and the place to be to watch the NFC Championship against the Chicago Bears. I hope you enjoy the articles. Regular patrons are quoted a number of times! If you happen to find more, please email us the link you've discovered!
A little slice of Cheeseland in Lakeview by Steve Johnson
Jan 21, 2011 http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2011-01-21/entertainment/ct-live-0122-packers-bar-20110121_1_lakeview-jermichael-finley-packers-party
Packers-Bears: Packers Fans In Chicago By Lauren Leamanczyk
Jan 21, 2011 http://www.todaystmj4.com/news/local/114402684.html
Packers-Bears: Packers Bar Is Green-and-Gold Oasis in Windy City By Jay Sorgi
Jan 19, 2011 http://www.todaystmj4.com/news/local/114196159.html
Fan Game Prediction Packers Bear Fans w interview at Will's Northwoods
http://www.youtube.com/v/BJ9uu27JMtg
Jermichael Finley at Wills bar By WLUK Rachel Monick
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kubZz5tkXNk
Fox News Chicago Visits Wills Northwoods 2009
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ZWu6HNeL5c
CBS Packers Fans To Flock To Lakeview Bar 2011
January 21, 2011 http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2011/01/21/packers-fans-to-flock-to-lakeview-bar/
North Side Packers Bar Gearing Up 2011
http://abclocal.go.com/wls/video?id=7908022
Chicago Packers fans excited about big win
Sunday, January 23, 2011 http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news%2Flocal&id=7914612
Bears Fans In Chicago Optimistic Packers Are Favored To Win Sunday's Game
January 19, 2011 http://www.wisn.com/sports/26546005/detail.html
A Packers bar in the heart of Bears country
http://www.wkow.com/Global/story.asp?S=13888273
http://www.wkow.com/global/video/popup/pop_playerLaunch.asp?vt1=v&clipFormat=flv&clipId1=5493131&at1=Sport&h1=Packers bar in Chicago&flvUri=&partnerclipid=
A home away from home for Packers fans
Jan 21, 2011 http://www.wfrv.com/news/local/A-home-away-from-home-for-Packers-fans-114402349.html
http://www.wfrv.com/news/local/A-home-away-from-home-for-Packers-fans-114402349.html
Packin’ in Packers fans in Lakeview
Jan 21, 2011 http://www.suntimes.com/3409490-417/packers-bar-fans-bears-fan.html
Packers-Bears: Packers Bar Is Green-and-Gold Oasis in Windy City
1/19/2011 http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41151093/ns/local_news-milwaukee_wi/
USA TODAY: Day before title game, Cheeseheads thrive in Chicago's Packer oasis
Jan 22, 2011 http://content.usatoday.com/communities/thehuddle/post/2011/01/day-before-title-game-cheeseheads-thrive-in-chicagos-packer-oasis/1
PICTURES: Fans watching the NFC Championship game at Will's Northwoods Inn
Joshua Coenen / January 23, 2011 http://www.fox6now.com/sports/football/packers/witi-20110124-nfc-champ-at-wills,0,2901053.photogallery
Will's Northwoods Inn
A Wisconsin Bar
A little slice of Cheeseland in Lakeview by Steve Johnson
Jan 21, 2011 http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2011-01-21/entertainment/ct-live-0122-packers-bar-20110121_1_lakeview-jermichael-finley-packers-party
Packers-Bears: Packers Fans In Chicago By Lauren Leamanczyk
Jan 21, 2011 http://www.todaystmj4.com/news/local/114402684.html
Packers-Bears: Packers Bar Is Green-and-Gold Oasis in Windy City By Jay Sorgi
Jan 19, 2011 http://www.todaystmj4.com/news/local/114196159.html
Fan Game Prediction Packers Bear Fans w interview at Will's Northwoods
http://www.youtube.com/v/BJ9uu27JMtg
Jermichael Finley at Wills bar By WLUK Rachel Monick
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kubZz5tkXNk
Fox News Chicago Visits Wills Northwoods 2009
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ZWu6HNeL5c
CBS Packers Fans To Flock To Lakeview Bar 2011
January 21, 2011 http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2011/01/21/packers-fans-to-flock-to-lakeview-bar/
North Side Packers Bar Gearing Up 2011
http://abclocal.go.com/wls/video?id=7908022
Chicago Packers fans excited about big win
Sunday, January 23, 2011 http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news%2Flocal&id=7914612
Bears Fans In Chicago Optimistic Packers Are Favored To Win Sunday's Game
January 19, 2011 http://www.wisn.com/sports/26546005/detail.html
A Packers bar in the heart of Bears country
http://www.wkow.com/Global/story.asp?S=13888273
http://www.wkow.com/global/video/popup/pop_playerLaunch.asp?vt1=v&clipFormat=flv&clipId1=5493131&at1=Sport&h1=Packers bar in Chicago&flvUri=&partnerclipid=
A home away from home for Packers fans
Jan 21, 2011 http://www.wfrv.com/news/local/A-home-away-from-home-for-Packers-fans-114402349.html
http://www.wfrv.com/news/local/A-home-away-from-home-for-Packers-fans-114402349.html
Packin’ in Packers fans in Lakeview
Jan 21, 2011 http://www.suntimes.com/3409490-417/packers-bar-fans-bears-fan.html
Packers-Bears: Packers Bar Is Green-and-Gold Oasis in Windy City
1/19/2011 http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41151093/ns/local_news-milwaukee_wi/
USA TODAY: Day before title game, Cheeseheads thrive in Chicago's Packer oasis
Jan 22, 2011 http://content.usatoday.com/communities/thehuddle/post/2011/01/day-before-title-game-cheeseheads-thrive-in-chicagos-packer-oasis/1
PICTURES: Fans watching the NFC Championship game at Will's Northwoods Inn
Joshua Coenen / January 23, 2011 http://www.fox6now.com/sports/football/packers/witi-20110124-nfc-champ-at-wills,0,2901053.photogallery
Will's Northwoods Inn
A Wisconsin Bar
Will's Northwoods Packer Season
Thank you to all of our friends at Will's who came out to cheer on the Packers throughout the season! You guys are the best! We used pictures we took or were tagged in from August through last Sunday's NFC Championship game. We really appreciate your support!
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
A home away from home for Packers fans
WFRV News
Story Created: Jan 21, 2011 at 9:43 PM CST
Story Updated: Jan 21, 2011 at 10:22 PM CST
CHICAGO, Ill. (WFRV) -- For fans heading to Chicago for the big game there is a place that feels like a home away from home.
While sitting in a Chicago bar nearly 20 years ago, Wisconsin native John Bunge realized he missed his home state's taverns.
"It dawned on me this bar here was similar in appearance to all the bars i frequented in northern Wisconsin," Bunge said. "It had the wood paneling, all it needed was some dead animals."
So he bought the bar and began filling it with moose head, stuffed musky, and Packers memorabilia, everything that reminded him of Wisconsin and called it Will's Northwoods Inn.
"Its modeled after the Moccasin Inn in Hayward Wisconsin," Bunge said. "The effort was to make it something that people in Wisconsin would feel comfortable in."
Its no surprise Will's Northwoods Inn has become the bar for Packers fans who watch a Packers game in the Chicago area.
"Its as close to a game day experience as you can get, they have the go Pack go chant, there's a half time raffle and anywhere from 200-300 Packers fans every weekend," said Nate Meyers, a Packers fan from Chicago. "Its just a great experience, I've made a lot of friends here."
Will's even serves up some of Packers fans favorite cuisine. "We obviously do the beer brats, fried cheese curds we do Wisconsin bloody Mary's," said Kevin Kruse, a Will's employee.
On Saturday, Packers player Jermichael Finley will be at Will's Northwoods Inn from 5:30 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. signing autographs and meeting fans.
Chelly Boutott reports.
Story Created: Jan 21, 2011 at 9:43 PM CST
Story Updated: Jan 21, 2011 at 10:22 PM CST
CHICAGO, Ill. (WFRV) -- For fans heading to Chicago for the big game there is a place that feels like a home away from home.
While sitting in a Chicago bar nearly 20 years ago, Wisconsin native John Bunge realized he missed his home state's taverns.
"It dawned on me this bar here was similar in appearance to all the bars i frequented in northern Wisconsin," Bunge said. "It had the wood paneling, all it needed was some dead animals."
So he bought the bar and began filling it with moose head, stuffed musky, and Packers memorabilia, everything that reminded him of Wisconsin and called it Will's Northwoods Inn.
"Its modeled after the Moccasin Inn in Hayward Wisconsin," Bunge said. "The effort was to make it something that people in Wisconsin would feel comfortable in."
Its no surprise Will's Northwoods Inn has become the bar for Packers fans who watch a Packers game in the Chicago area.
"Its as close to a game day experience as you can get, they have the go Pack go chant, there's a half time raffle and anywhere from 200-300 Packers fans every weekend," said Nate Meyers, a Packers fan from Chicago. "Its just a great experience, I've made a lot of friends here."
Will's even serves up some of Packers fans favorite cuisine. "We obviously do the beer brats, fried cheese curds we do Wisconsin bloody Mary's," said Kevin Kruse, a Will's employee.
On Saturday, Packers player Jermichael Finley will be at Will's Northwoods Inn from 5:30 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. signing autographs and meeting fans.
Chelly Boutott reports.
WIll's On FOX Milwaukee - Packers Fans In Bears Territory - Will's Northwoods Inn
Documenting the road to the Superbowl, FOX 6 came by to talk about Packers fans in Chicago. We're hailed as a destination location second to Lambeau! Thank you for this amazing piece FOX6! We look forward to having you over again for the 183rd match up between our favorite rivalry!
Friday, January 21, 2011
WKOW Channel 27 reports about our favorite Packers Outpost In Chicago
We've got a couple of more reports from Will's in the news today!
The first comes from WKOW about Packer fans in Chicago at Will's Northwoods Inn!
http://www.wkow.com/global/video/popup/pop_playerLaunch.asp?vt1=v&clipFormat=flv&clipId1=5492452&at1
If anyone can make the embed code work, please let us know!
CBS CHICAGO
The first comes from WKOW about Packer fans in Chicago at Will's Northwoods Inn!
http://www.wkow.com/global/video/popup/pop_playerLaunch.asp?vt1=v&clipFormat=flv&clipId1=5492452&at1
If anyone can make the embed code work, please let us know!
CBS CHICAGO
Packers fans find a home in Chicago
From FOX 11 WLUK Green Bay, Appleton & Northeast Wisconsin
Packers fans find a home in Chicago: fox11online.com
Will's Northwoods Bar
Updated: Friday, 21 Jan 2011, 7:54 AM CST
Published : Thursday, 20 Jan 2011, 9:41 PM CST
CHICAGO - Just a few blocks from Wrigley Field there's a corner neighborhood bar called Will's Northwoods, as in the North woods of Wisconsin. It prominently displays its green and gold pride.
"People know who were are and what we're about, so, we do get a lot of Bear fans here too," Kevin Kruse, the bar's manager says. He's been the manager here for five years and in that time became a Packers convert, "It's been a slow transformation. But yeah, Packers, I love the Packers now."
Since 1991 Will's has continued to attract more and more Packers faithful. Last week's Packers game against Atlanta had fans line up out the door.
"Yeah, we had about 50 deep out there until the third quarter. People, I don't know why they didn't make a decision to leave at some point, but they hung on with hope that they would get in," Kruse said of the fans.
And even more Packers fans are expected this weekend, but that won't change bar policy, "You know we're not going to let more people in this week than we normally do. But I think the difference is with all this coverage, we're going to have to turn away a lot more people than we have before," says Kruse.
Injured Packer Jermichael Finley announced on ESPN he'll be visiting Will's this weekend. And so will Bryce Lehman a Packers fan from Wisconsin, but living in Chicago, "You know all week long we've got to listen to our colleagues throughout the week saying how about them bears. Where are you watching the Bears game this weekend, you know, and all that. So then on Sunday, we come here you know, this is our place," Lehman says.
Being Chicago you don't have to travel far from the bar to find Bears fans. You'll even find some inside, just not so much on Sunday.
"If the Bears are playing, I'm watching it somewhere else," says Bears fan Jim Meyers.
If you're in the area and don't have a ticket to the game Will's opens at 9:30 A.M. on Sunday and it can hold a couple hundred people. But Sunday is expected to be the Black Friday of football with fans lining up hours ahead of time to get in.
From
TGIF Jermichael Finley Plugs Will's!
Wow! We made ESPN! Jermichael Finley was asked by the reporter where he is going to watch the game on Sunday and he said with us at Will's! We thought he would be at Soldier Field cheering his team on, but... check this out:
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Will's Northwoods Inn... Wisconsin in Chicago
We received a little attention from FOX 6 in Milwaukee yesterday too!
Thanks for the kudos! I hope you enjoy this piece! GO PACK GO!
Here is the Link: http://www.fox6now.com/videobeta/ffc3786e-0a63-43f2-a31f-c43001dac827/Sports/Packers-bars-located-in-Chicago-expect-large-crowds-for-NFC-Championships
Thanks for the kudos! I hope you enjoy this piece! GO PACK GO!
Here is the Link: http://www.fox6now.com/videobeta/ffc3786e-0a63-43f2-a31f-c43001dac827/Sports/Packers-bars-located-in-Chicago-expect-large-crowds-for-NFC-Championships
Packers Fans In Chicago
FOX News Chicago did a very nice little piece on Packers fans in Chicago! We were very glad to host them at Will's! Please take a quick look at our video! Do you see someone you know?
GO PACK GO!
GO PACK GO!
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