Why Dave Sobelman Doesn’t Mind Handling the Dirty Work at Sobelmans Pub & Grill

In a city built on beer, there are plenty of old pubs to choose from. But even so, Sobelmans Pub & Grill* is near the head of the pack. This truly classic restaurant dates back to the day (1889, to be exact) when individual taverns were affiliated with breweries; in this case, it was a dispensary for what was once the best-selling beer in America: Schlitz, “The Beer that Made Milwaukee Famous.” The historic tavern was later bought by Dave Sobelman in 1999. Today, his restaurant still serves plenty of beer, but the place is now an iconic destination choice for a completely different reason—Bloody Mary’s and burgers.

Back when Sobelman opened the doors to his restaurant, nobody was doing what he was doing. It started with fresh-baked buns from a local bakery—why couldn’t the standard cheeseburger come sandwiched between bread that’s a far-cry from generic sesame seed buns? Things snowballed from there, and crafting the restaurant’s menu became the chance to prove that they take burgers seriously. He introduced top-notch ingredients—Wisconsin cheeses, Nueske’s bacon and butter-fried onions. And he made sure only cooks with the best skills were behind the grill. What Sobelman did was lift a simple hamburger from something that’s good to something that’s extraordinary—in other words, he created the better-burger segment from scratch long before it ever existed. In a meat-and-potatoes kind of town, it was a recipe for success.

“Before Sobelmans, nobody really took burgers seriously. When we opened, there were only three burger places in town—one was a custard place and the other two were diners. When we showed people that there was a better way to enjoy their burger, it was a huge novelty at the time,” Sobelman said. “But eventually, people caught on, and other restaurants started boasting their own better-burgers. Which is why, today, it’s so important to stake our claim—Sobelman’s will always be the original. We single-handedly helped to change Milwaukee’s restaurant scene.”

But Sobelman believes his restaurant’s appeal goes far beyond its food. Standing out in a sea of burger joints requires something that you can’t whip up in the kitchen—passion.

That’s why, there’s a good chance you’ll see Sobelman himself at his restaurant every single day. He’s there from early in the morning until late in the evening, handling tasks like cleaning the floor and bussing dirty tables. He has an alarm set on his phone that goes off every hour—it serves as a reminder to check in on his staff to make sure everything’s in order. And when it comes to taking time off, Sobelman is only away from his restaurant a few days throughout the entire year. This, Sobelman says, is what puts his business on top.

“As more and more restaurants started offering up their version of the better-burger, we realized it was less about food at Sobelman’s. It’s about going the extra mile in everything you do. We take the time to hand-select only the best celery hearts to put in our Bloody Mary’s. I inspect every single basket of food before they hit the tables to make sure everything looks perfect for the customer. It’s the little things—that attention to detail—that really makes the difference and helps your restaurant stand out,” Sobelman said.

When Sobelman recently celebrated his 50th birthday, friends, family and loyal customers came from all over to wish him well on this milestone occasion. But instead of a fancy party, well-wishers found him doing what he is usually doing on a Friday night--making sure everything was running smoothly at one of the several Sobelmans locations found throughout Wisconsin. On this particular night, he was doing whatever was needed to ensure Sobelmans’ newest franchised location was running at peak performance. This is just one example of many that showcases the hard work and dedication that Sobelman has for his restaurants and his franchisees.

Today, it’s clear that Sobleman’s unrelenting enthusiasm for his business and hands-on support system is paying off in a big way. Less than one year after opening up his business model to franchising, Sobelman welcomed his very first franchisees—Jimmy and Alison Dakolias, who opened a location in Waukesha. Today, that location is one of the busiest in the entire Sobelmans system. And that, Sobelman says, is what makes the hard work, the long days and the late nights all worth it.

“Sobelmans will always work harder than the other guy—that’s something you won’t find anywhere else,” Sobelman added.