By Sarah Nigbor

ELLSWORTH – Every town needs a café that feels like home, where the servers know your name when you walk through the door and chat with you like family. That place in Ellsworth is Sawyer Joe’s. Nicole Mischler has tried different careers, including a typical 9-to-5 office job, but it’s just not for her.

Time and again, she’s been drawn back to the job she loves most: Serving in a restaurant. And now, she has realized a lifelong dream which will allow her to do that job for as long as she wants: She is the proud owner of Sawyer Joe’s café, located at 358 W. Main St.

Named after her 4-year old son, Mischler bought the café business from Chelsea Leighton and Frank Balazi, who operated under the name Kinni Café. While Kinni Café will maintain its original River Falls location, Mischler will focus on her new Ellsworth venture.

She officially opened under the new name June 6. “I’m a people person,” Mischler said. “I love to talk to people. Some of the regulars might not have someone at home or maybe lost someone. Being there for them is a huge part of what I love.”

Mischler has been a server and bartender since age 15 (she’s now 28). She worked at South Fork Café in River Falls for 10 years and later moved on to the Kinni Café’s River Falls location in January 2021. She soon started working full-time at the Ellsworth location. “I loved it here right away,” Mischler said. “I just wanted to be here.” She approached the Balazis about selling her their Ellsworth location, and they said they’d consider selling it to the right person.

See SAWYER JOE’S, PAGE 10 Sawyer Joe’s

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After her vacation this past March, she knew in her heart that she was that person. With her boyfriend’s support, she asked them to sell it to her and they agreed.

“I come from a long line of business owners,” Mischler said. “I enjoy serving. I wasn’t made to sit in a desk. I talk to people all day and I enjoy it immensely.”

As Mischler navigates her new role as business owner, she is grateful for her loyal staff, especially longtime server Dawn Hendershot who “came with the place.”

“I drop what I’m doing and I’m here in 15 minutes if she sends me an SOS,” Hendershot said. “We work well under chaotic conditions. From the first day we worked together, it was like PB & J. It’s like we read each other’s mind.”

Mischler calls Hendershot her right hand. Their bond is apparent as they joke back and forth and perform tasks together.

“I don’t think I could have done it without her,” Mischler said. “The restaurant business is in Dawn’s blood.”

Mischler, who hails from River Falls by way of Pickerel in northeastern Wisconsin, has restaurants in her blood as well. Her grandparents owned a bar and raised their six children in the rooms above it. She and her mother moved to western Wisconsin when she was small and she graduated from River Falls High School in 2012.

As for the café’s namesake, he is proud of his restaurant, albeit a little shy.

“He asks if we’re going to his restaurant every day,” Mischler said. “When he gets here, the regulars say, ‘Oh, the boss is here.’” So far, Sawyer doesn’t show much interest in working at his restaurant; after all, he’s only 4 and baseball and bike riding are higher on his agenda. But if it’s in his blood as it is his mother’s, maybe one day he will.

Mischler said the transition has gone pretty smoothly, with just a couple minor snags. She’s not planning to make any big menu changes; she’s just updated it with her branding and some new names. The café hours will remain the same, 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. seven days a week. Sawyer Joe’s, staff and customers, are like a family and she hopes it can be a community gathering place.

“I’m so excited it’s finally happening,” Mischler said. “I’ve talked about it for years. This is what I’ve always wanted to do. It’s worth it. It’s exciting to make something your own.”

And Hendershot has one last bit of wisdom, one most people can agree upon.

“I tell the younger servers, keep the beverages full. Keep the water and coffee full, and you can’t go wrong. People are happy when their coffee is full.”

Nicole Mischler has always wanted to own her own business, and her dream has come true with the purchase of her new café, Sawyer Joe’s. Photo by Sarah Nigbor