Changes at Shalom Wildlife Sanctuary include a new cafe, the Grizzly Grill

Daily News (West Bend, Wis.)
Published: March 23, 2018

Changes at Shalom Wildlife Sanctuary include a new cafe, the Grizzly Grill

By NICHOLAS DETTMANN

ndettmann@conleynet.com 262-306-5043

TOWN OF FARMINGTON — Laying in a hospital bed, hanging onto his life, David Fechter thought a move needed to be made in order to preserve Shalom Wildlife Sanctuary.

The move: Adding a cafe at the rurally located zoo in northern Washington County, addressing a need and a request that’s been in consideration for about a decade.

“We tried to understand what people wanted,” Fechter said Monday. “We just didn’t have the staffing to do it.”

The Grizzly Grill is slated to open for its 29th opening day April 28.

“It’ll be close,” Fechter said, adding an extended 2017 season slowed some of the 2018 prep.

Among the items expected to be sold are hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken and soft drinks. It is inside the building that had picnic tables set up for a cafeteria where people could bring their own food to eat. That option will still be available, but Fechter said the addition of a cafe will help enhance the experience.

“It’s a big move for us,” he said. “It’s a big improvement. It’s the No. 1 request of our customers when they come.”

The grill, which Fechter said will consist of food from a local distributor, is one of several additions or changes being made to Shalom with opening day about a month away.

Also among the changes include new animals, such as a hedgehog and an antelope to add to the 68 species already on site, a remodel of the gift shop/admissions area, an expanded parking lot and a new reading program called “Let’s Read Together” where the animals will share their stories with visitors in a children’s book format.

Fechter’s daughter, Joy, is working on putting those stories together to put into a book and make available in the gift shop someday.

Fechter said there is a new energy on site because of the changes.

“It’s almost like starting a whole new thing,” David said.

In addition, an Eagle Scout built 30 picnic tables that will be spread throughout the zoo.

To get to this point has been, in a way, life changing.

Last summer, Fechter was hospitalized after a tree broke, fell and landed on him, splitting his skull. He was rushed to Froedtert Hospital in Milwaukee where he was in intensive care for three weeks.

“I didn’t know if I was going to make it,” Fechter said.

Already immersed in 15- to 16-hour days seven days a week, Fechter, who owns the zoo with his wife Lana, rarely, if ever, took a chance to reflect and think about the steps the zoo has taken thus far and where it needs to go.

His kids, Joy, and a son, Buckley, stepped up.

Joy is a pharmacist in the Rhinelander area, while Buckley is a doctor in Cincinnati. After the accident, thought was given about how to preserve the zoo if David passes away from the injury or five or 10 years later. “They came home to help keep things rolling to see what the outcome was going to be because it was unknown at that time,” David said. “They got to see the participation and what was going on. They realized this is a wonderful thing that is happening and so they were kind of the energy to make it happen. Let’s get going on this stuff. Let’s get the restaurant going.”

David acknowledged the accident was a blessing in disguise, even though it wasn’t the preferred route to get to the restaurant realization.

“(The doctors) thought I wasn’t going to make it,” David said. “If I was going to make it, they thought I’d be in a wheelchair in a nursing home.”

“It was the point where, ‘OK. What’s going to happen to Shalom?’” David said he still enjoys the work that goes into running and maintaining a zoo. But the close call opened up his eyes to understanding the need to think five, 10 or 15 years ahead as far as Shalom’s future.

“What’s going to happen to us? We’re getting older,” David said. “We were at a point where we had to do something,” he said.

A few years ago, Shalom added to its staff to help address those lingering issues, but not taken seriously until last year.

One of those additions to the staff include Paul Poeschl, Shalom’s Program and Events Manager, who used to work for the Shark Reef Aquarium in Las Vegas.

Next season is the 30th for the zoo. There are ideas being kicked around how to commemorate the milestone.

“My son would like to get tigers, that’s his thing,” David said. “Maybe black bear; something animal-wise.”