Capital Region Business Journal

Bill and Betty Von Rutenberg started out running a two-person operation when they owned the Nibble Nook restaurant off the Square.

The hours were long and life started to become more complicated as their family grew, leading them to buy the old Jack Burke's Supper Club off County M and Lake Mendota. But while they kept the restaurant name, they nearly lost it because customers had identified with the former owner.

That seems ironic now because the Von Rutenbergs hung in there and Betty became the life of the restaurant, which eventually was renamed Mariner's Inn.

Not only did the Von Rutenbergs turn around their business and establish it as a landmark restaurant, but they went about building an enterprise that supports their three sons, who have continued the legacy.

"We kind of view it as the American dream," said the middle son, Jack, now 44.

The Von Rutenberg boys ? Bill, Jack and Robert ? now run Mariner's Inn and two other waterfront restaurants: Captain Bill's Seafood Co. and The Nau-ti-gal, a lively restaurant near Mariner's Inn.

The brothers also operate Betty Lou Cruises, an operation that runs private charter and public brunch, lunch, cocktail and dinner cruises on Lake Mendota and Lake Monona.

They call their business Von Rutenberg Ventures, and other family members have been involved.

"We're all water people, we always have been, so we're into the nautical-type thing," said Jack Von Rutenberg, who lives on Lake Mendota as does his brother, Bill.

But it all started when Bill and Betty, who both wanted to be teachers and met at UW-Madison, started working together at Neesvig's Meats in Madison, which was started by Betty Von Rutenberg's grandfather and still supplies the majority of meat to the Von Rutenberg restaurants although it is no longer owned by the family.

Eventually, they purchased the eight-stool hamburger joint, Nibble Nook, which was in the building that now houses Paradise Printing on East Washington Avenue.

After five years, the couple sold the business and purchased Jack Burke's Supper Club on a land contract. Regular customers didn't initially warm up to the Von Rutenbergs, and some even started to grab mounted fish and other animals off the walls.

With Bill's strong but quiet presence and Betty's friendly demeanor, the restaurant eventually flourished and the name was changed to Mariner's Inn in 1969.

The business, which seated 28 when the Von Rutenbergs purchased it, has continued to thrive and the 40th anniversary will be celebrated next summer. The restaurant has been expanded eight times and now seats about 200.

The Von Rutenberg brothers have great memories of the early years when they hung out in the apartment over the restaurant and ran around the grounds outside while their parents worked. They also helped out when they were old enough, hauling ice and doing other odd jobs.

"We really grew up here," said Robert, 39, who came along months before the restaurant was purchased. His bassinet was placed near the grill while his mom cooked. "There's so much grease in my veins," he joked.

The Nau-ti-gal, which was a country bar called Hanson's Tavern, was purchased in 1982. The younger Bill Von Rutenberg, now 46, had just graduated from UW-Madison with a business degree and started managing it. The place was gutted, doubled in size and the porch was added.

Jack graduated from the University of Iowa in 1983 and attended one year of medical school at UW-Madison before returning to the business.

In 1993, when their parents started to withdraw from the business, Bill and Jack decided to buy the Hatch Cover restaurant, remodel it and open it as Captain Bill's. A number of promotional events were held to get the restaurant ready for its opening. The afternoon of a reception for 400 people, Betty learned she had ovarian cancer. She still helped run the event.

"That's a tough day," Jack said. "It just demonstrates some of the personal sacrifice when you are in a small, locally owned, independent business."

Betty beat the cancer but an infection that followed her treatments took her life about nine years ago. Bill moved to Florida after his wife's death.

"It's also really therapeutic to be at work and hear people reminisce about your mother," Jack said.

The cruise line was started in 1998 and named in honor of the boys' mother, formally named Elizabeth Louise. "It's a great legacy. It represents what she was. It's water, it's people and it's fun," Jack said.

Robert started in pre-medicine before switching over to theater at Northwestern University. He was in the Peace Corps, traveled and lived the corporate life in Chicago and New York before returning to the business and a supportive family five years ago.

In fact, his two oldest brothers say they consider themselves lucky to still have their families intact while working in an industry where that's the exception. It comes from striking a balance between work and personal lives, Jack said.

Working among family is a positive, Jack said, because they're less likely to bail out when times get tough.

Each of the brothers has found a niche in the business ? gravitating to areas where their strengths lie.

The Von Rutenbergs make charitable contributions and award scholarships to high school students. They also make a point to get to know their customers, Bill said.

Another secret to the Von Rutenbergs' success in a competitive market has been looking for ways to improve every day and maintaining the high standards set by their parents.

"There definitely will be changes as time goes on," said Jack, who hinted at a new venture that likely will involve water and possibly will be announced in the next year.

Von Rutenbergs' success goes back to the Nibble Nook

By Pamela Cotant

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