Today we’d like to introduce you to Jason Karnes.
Hi Jason, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My wife Paige and I had just moved to Wisconsin when she surprised me with a date night at Tippy Canoes. At the time, I had no idea there was anything more to this evening besides us enjoying a much-needed dinner together. I remember sitting at table 22, ordering the cheese curds, and enjoying the great food, conversation, and the up-north Wisconsin feel of the restaurant.
Toward the end of the meal, Paige asked me what I thought of the place. I told her I thought it was pretty good. Then she smiled and said, “Did you know this place if for sale?” I laughed because I thought she was joking around with me, but I found out that was not the case.
I had started in the restaurant industry as a dishwasher in St. Cloud, Mn at a Mexican restaurant, and by that time I had spent over 20 years in the hospitality. Paige knew owning a restaurant of my own had always been a dream of mine For only a second time in my life- the first being when I met my lovely wife- my ducks were all lining up in a row. Six months late, we became the new owners of Tippy Canoes.
Getting there was not easy. I came from a low-income family that didn’t have much. My parents did the best they could to keep food on the table and a roof over our heads. I had been divorced, lost my house, and spent years scratching and clawing from the time I was 23 and I was now 38. Buying Tippy Canoes felt like going from nothing to reaching a dream I had worked for most of my life.
The first six months were going great, and then COVID hit. We did not have a lot of funds since we had put everything into the downpayment. We sold our house and took money out of our retirement to make it happen, so everything we had worked so hard for was suddenly on the line. It was one of the hardest times of my life.
But in a strange way, it also became a blessing as I look back. When Wisconsin reopened and Minnesota was still shut down, people started crossing the river to come to Tippy’s-many for the first time. A place they had never heard of became a destination. That difficult season helped introduce Tippy’s to a whole new group of guests and reminded us why we had taken the risk in the first place.
Today, Tippy Canoes is more than a restaurant to us. It represents hard work, second chances, family, community, and the belief that y0ur dreams worth fighting for and to never give up.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The struggle began before we even purchased the restaurant. Once we purchased the restaurant, we knew we had to get our cash flow moving. once we took over, we had inherited a staff that had opportunities and challenges of its own. We had equipment break the first week we were operating; two main coolers on the line done for on a Friday before dinner service. We made it happen and found two coolers before dinner service. The hot water heater went out the following month. I was starting to see a pattern. This went on and I was coming into work thinking about what was going to break or what were we going to have to repair today.
The team at the time was something that was put together based on what they could find. They did the best they could with what they had. Change is hard and we were moving in a direction that most of the staff in the BOH didn’t want to learn and grow so we ended up losing people. So, staffing became an issue and the days grew even longer. The open to close shifts were starting to affect our family since Paige was taking care of our son on top of working her own full-time job, take care of the house, and lots of other aspects. Over time we were able to take the people who wanted to put the time, blood, sweat, and tears into our mission to grow Tippy’s and make it better than it had been. We thank them and appreciate all they have done and all they continue to do for Tippy Canoes; it’s turned into more than a restaurant, it’ like a second family we all have now.
We understand and know the challenges will never stop but we have grown to be able to pivot with the challenges we have been thrown.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I started in the restaurant business when I was 14 years old as a dishwasher. From there I worked in lots of other restaurants, from mom-and-pop establishments to restaurants chains. I worked at Italian, Mexican, American, German, to name a few. I have worked as a dishwasher, busser, cook, server, bartender, meat cutter, FOH manager, BOH manager, to my last job before we took over at Texas Roadhouse as a Product Coach. I am great full to have the experience from all the places I have worked and grown from. Before owning Tippy Canoes, I spent more than 20 years in the industry. I helped lead teams, train staff, improve food quality, and support multiple stores.
Today my wife and I own and operate Tippy Canoes in Osceola, WI. Most recently we went on another adventure and purchased another restaurant Lehman’s Supper Club in Rice Lake, WI. My work is now a mixture of everything from leading people, building systems, improving the guest experience, solving problems, and making sure the restaurants continue to grow and making sure we continue to be the place people know and love.
What I am most proud of is the path I took to get here and the people who helped along the way to make this happen. I did not come from money or have an easy road; I started at the bottom of the barrel. I worked hard, learned the business from inside and out, and kept pushing when I was never even sure if this would work in the end. Buying Tippy Canoes was not just a career move- it was the result of years of work, sacrifice, and believing that someday I could possibly own my own restaurant someday.
What do you like and dislike about the city?
The village where the restaurant is located is a beautiful community located on the west side of Wisconsin along the St. Croix River Valley. What I like best about Osceola is the small-town feel, the natural beauty of the village and Cascade Falls of course which is a very popular tourist attraction. It’s a place where locals, families, travelers, and visitors can all come together. Between the river, the trails, the waterfall, the downtown area, and the people, it is a community that feels welcoming and real.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.tippycanoes.com
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/tippycanoessportspubandgrub
