History

Art’s Tavern has been located at the corner of Lake Street and M22 is some form or another since before prohibition. Originally called the Blue Goose Saloon when run by Frank Sheridan, it was renamed by Frank’s son Art when he took over after his father’s accidental electrocution in 1934. Art saw the tavern through many good times until 1950 when an electrical fire burned the tavern down.

By the spring of 1951, the present structure rose from the ashes. After Art died in 1970, his wife Mary took charge until 1986 when she sold Art’s to the Wiesens.
Long-time Wiesen employee Tim Barr was shipped over to Glen Arbor from Empire to manage the installation of the grill and heating and cooling system and the changes these updates would bring.

In July 2000, Tim bought the operation and wisely retained the name Art’s.

The Legend of the Two Headed Fish

On the right, with the gun, is William L. Walker, Jr., General Manager of United Delco, General Motors Corporation, at his retirement banquet on October 25, 1972, at the Latin Quarter in Detroit. He is being presented with purportedly a mutant, two-headed fish which he caught on his previous fishing trip. On the right is Mort Neff, the host of the “Michigan Outdoors” TV program that ran from the 1960s through the 1980s, presenting Mr. Walker with this true piece of art.

While we’d like to tell you that this beast belongs in the Smithsonian as a natural rarity, we have to fess up…

Tom Adams, the Chairman of the Campbell-Ewald Advertising Agency and close friend of Mr. Walker, had hired a local taxidermist to create this one-of-a-kind gift. Josephine Zara, the Granddaughter of William L. Walker, Jr., gave the fish to Art’s in 1985. We’re not sure how she could’ve parted with such a beautiful wall decoration, but we’re more than happy to have it on display. Since we’ve had it, millions have come to pay homage to this iconic symbol, enjoying countless cheeseburgers under the fish’s 2 watchful pairs of eyes.