October 4, 2021 – West Bend, WI – A bit of a shock for the local restaurant scene happened Saturday night, October 2, 2021 as chef and owner Gregg Desrosier closed his TOCHI Ramen restaurant in West Bend.
“I bought a building in Sheboygan two years ago, and then the pandemic hits and nobody wanted to go back to work, so I was just sitting there and I couldn’t just stop and watch,” said Desrosier.
While it was a difficult decision, Desrosier he felt he had to make some changes. With a new plan in place Desrosier would reformat his business model and move forward.
Rather than 14 to 20 employees, his new restaurant will feature Desrosier and his wife and one other employee. “I don’t have to rely on having a staff. We’re not a Sysco place. We make it. So, you can’t just have any set of hands do it. If I’m going to work that hard, I’m gonna put that money in my pocket.”
Click HERE to read Desrosier’s announcement about closing TOCHI
in West Bend
Desrosier said the move “had nothing to do with, with the amount of business.”
“We were doing great, but I’m 108 in food service years so I have to do something I can manage,” he said. “This is going to be the new concept.”
The new restaurant in Sheboygan will have an open-concept kitchen, two to three tables for dine in and then takeout.
“We will be cooking the food and serving you at the bar,” said Desrosier. “So, you’ll see the whole process.”
With an increase in takeout orders, Desrosier felt he had to be more nimble, especially considering takeout container prices are up and food prices are through the roof.
“You need to be smaller and more agile,” he said.
Desrosier expects to be open with his new restaurant, Tochi Ramen Ya, in four to six weeks.
Another element that made Sheboygan attractive is the food scene.
“It’s an excellent food town,” he said. “They are hard pressed to find a bad restaurant and I like that competition for sure.”
The new Tochi location in Sheboygan is 623 north Eighth Street. It’s in a historic downtown area with a bakery on the corner, a jewelry shop next door, and lots of character and personality.
“What we do in Sheboygan is going to be the greatest thing I’ve ever done in my life,” said Desrosier.
I remember you and your brother as little boys in West Bend. I worked with your dad at Badger Milddle School. Laurine Skaife
66 years old and remember Mr. Desrosier, a fine teacher and nice person.
Let’s wish Cathy and Gregg well and offer them our spiritual support and perhaps a road trip for TAKEOUT🤩
He couldn’t reformat his business model in West Bend??
In reading the story it appears Gregg was leasing space in West Bend while he owned a building in Sheboygan. With rising cost of food and supplies it appears from his comments in the story it made more fiscal sense to operate out of a building he owned.