Willie Marx's Bait Tackle & More

The Beginning

Willies originated as a joke between coworkers where I worked as a forklift engineer. The boys at my warehouse where always joking about my entrepreneurial spirit and how I should open my own business. Later that year one of my coworkers mixed that with my passion for the outdoors--fishing and hunting, in a joke-cartoon drawing of a bait and tackle shop.

The Location

An interesting opportunity presented itself when a small storefront became available in conjunction with another piece of real estate. The property had originally been Town and Country Gas Station. I put in a very low offer and was declined. About a week later, the owner came back and on a hunch accepted my offer. A few months of renovations and back and forth with the zoning board, Willie's was born. A small 12 X 30 building with limited parking.

The Original Concept - Bait and Bagels

I originally opened Willies as a Bait and Bagel shop. You all might remember Willie's Bait and Bagel, the logo featuring a worm and bagel that was designed by my son, Billy, who was 11 at the time.

A Change in Concept

The bait and bagel idea never really took off and the idea of a cafe that sold worms and minnows actually made some squeamish. So we dropped the bagels, renamed the store, and focused on the bait and tackle market.

The Renovation

We decided the in order to grow the business the building simply had to be renovated. Over the next several years we transformed the shop into the Willie's that you know today.