The boilers failed at The Depot Green Bay on a bitter Tuesday in February, plunging temperatures inside the 129-year-old downtown building and forcing the restaurant to shut down that week, while outside wind chills drove the temperature down to 2 degrees. The massive 1994 cast-iron units, each the size of a minivan, cracked beyond repair.
The property owner, CNW Enterprises LLC, explored fixes, but the boilers were finished. Shawn Zambarda, who bought the restaurant in 2021, decided to sell it. Chef Jeff Schermetzler, who had worked at the restaurant, and his wife, Alyssa, stepped in to buy it.
Schermetzler wasn’t a stranger to the building. He worked there for seven years when it was known as Titletown Brewing Company. He left in 2018 and returned as The Depot’s chef just four months before the boilers cracked.
“I fell in love with this place,” Schermetzler said. “You just get attached to this building. So many memories are already here, so many more to make.”
The restaurant at 200 Douseman St. in Green Bay got its new boilers fired up on April 10 and reopened April 11 with a wedding rehearsal dinner upstairs and space heaters in reserve, just in case.
Originally from Manitowoc, Schermetzler began washing dishes at Green Street Food and Spirits at age 14 after his parents encouraged him to get a job. A cook soon put him on the line flipping steaks and that flipped a switch.
“I fell in love with it,” Schermetzler said.
He moved to Green Bay at 19, worked in big-volume kitchens at Legends and spent five years as a banquet chef at Stadium View, where he learned to handle thousands of burgers on game days and weddings for hundreds. Titletown hired him in 2011 and he rose from sous chef to executive chef.
The goal: preserve the history, bring back a menu with past favorites
Remodeling happened mostly behind the scenes: new boilers, rerouted hot water lines, a refreshed kitchen setup and, most importantly, a change in mentality and menu. The building itself needed little visible work. Peeling wallpaper from the cold-weather installation even adds character that guests now admire, Schermetzler said.
A subtle rebrand keeps the name, The Depot, but updates the logo to feature the building’s iconic clock tower.
“People in Green Bay know this building,” Schermetzler said. “If you put a picture up, people know, ‘oh, that’s downtown Green Bay. That’s the clock tower.'”
The goal is to preserve the building’s history while modernizing the experience. Historic photos now line the walls. Customers regularly share stories − a grandfather who worked upstairs by the fireplace, a father who left for war from the station and never returned, childhood train trips to Milwaukee. Schermetzler reprints faded photos when families bring them in.
“I really wanted to preserve the history of this building,” Schermetzler said. “A lot of people have a connection to this place.”
As owner, Schermetzler is focusing on bringing back pride in the food. Everything is made from scratch except ketchup, mustard, pickles and mayonnaise. The kitchen bakes its own goods and prepares all sauces in-house. The menu keeps popular Titletown favorites that customers missed while adding new items, like a spicy elk burger. Ribeye and filet mignon appear as more affordable steak options downtown.
Schermetzler said some customers have accused him of simply copying the old Titletown Brewing menu.
“In a way we did,” he said, “but people missed it.”
However, the menu will change seasonally. Staples such as the cranberry turkey melt and pasta carbonara stay year-round. Daily specials rotate, and soups change daily except for the bison chili. Flatbreads replace pizza for a thinner, cracker-style crust.
“We take pride in that,” Schermetzler said. “That was the thing I was missing: the pride in the food and the beverages and just being proud of our craft.”
The main dining room has no televisions to encourage conversation and family meals. Schermetzler plans to stock newspapers so guests can enjoy soup and the crossword the old-fashioned way. The bar area keeps screens for sports.
Upstairs event space operates separately as Depot Lofts under a sublease, but The Depot handles all food and beverage through its catering menu. Small private rooms and off-site catering are also available.
Schermetzler employs 28 people, including 10 full-time kitchen staff. He emphasizes old-school standards − showing up ready to work − while supporting better mental health awareness in the industry. He said every guest who comes in is treated as if they were in his own home.
“You are a guest of ours,” he said. “You come on in, we’ll sit you down, we’ll get you a great meal. If you’re not happy with something, talk like we’re buddies and friends.”
His guiding promise is simple:
“I’m trying to gain the trust back of Green Bay, one plate at a time,” Schermetzler said.
Ariel Perez is a business reporter for the Green Bay Press-Gazette. You can reach him at APerez1@usatodayco.com or view his X profile at @Ariel_Perez85.
This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: New owner of The Depot looks to honor building’s 129-year history
Reporting by Ariel Perez, Green Bay Press-Gazette / Green Bay Press-Gazette
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By Ariel Perez, Green Bay Press-Gazette | USA TODAY Network
