Chris and Andrew Madsen (father and son) of Glenwood are now the new owners of Captains Bar & Grill, a restaurant and bar that sits on the shores of Lake Minnewaska in Long Beach.

The Madsens purchased the establishment in October of this year from Ken Moe, who had operated it after purchasing it in 2014 from Marlin Torguson and changing the name from Torgy’s to Captains Bar & Grill.   Moe did some extensive remodeling and updating to the facility, which is a popular restaurant on the lake that can be accessed by boat as well as by vehicle.

Captains is a restaurant, bar, off-sale liquor store and offers house boat rentals during the summer months.  With a seating capacity of more than 300, Captains can accommodate business meetings, reunions, birthday parties, banquets, weddings or special events.

Chris Madsen, who also owns The Hatchery Bar & Grill in Lowry, brings a lot of experience to the business.  He worked as bar manager at Lakeside for 12 years before purchasing the Hatchery in 2019 and before all this, he actually worked at this restaurant for six years back when it was called Torgy’s. 

“I’ve come full circle,” he said about the purchase of Captains.  It’s really great to be back here.”

Chris’ wife, Jody, is also excited for her husband and son on their new venture.

Andrew Madsen, Chris’ business partner and son, has followed his dad’s footsteps working in the industry. For about six years now, he has been working and learning the bar and restaurant business and decided he too would step into the ownership aspect.  Andrew’s fiancé Cheyenne and two children, Grayson and Rory are excited and behind him one-hundred percent.  As Grayson says, “let’s go to daddy and papa’s new bar!” 

Chris and Andrew said last week that Ken Moe has been “really great to work with” and complimented his renovations to the facility.  For instance, what was an outdoor patio is now an “all season” patio that features large doors that can be opened in the summer months for a great view of the lake, and heated in the winter months as another area to hold events and large groups.  Also, an outdoor pergola-covered patio will be open in the summer months for full outdoor dining, Chris said.  The off-sale liquor store has remained a popular choice for area residents, he added.

In the coming months, Chris and Andrew said they will be working to improve the restaurant aspect of the business. They recently hired Zach Steinke as their kitchen manager and chef and are excited to see what things he can come up with in the kitchen.  They said a new menu will be rolling out soon and are currently accepting reservations for holiday parties.  

Although running both The Hatchery and Captains Bar & Grill is dominating the Madsens’ time right now, the Hatchery is still for sale.  “We’re hoping someone wants to step up and buy it, but it is not listed anywhere at this time,” Chris said.  

Captains Bar & Grill is open daily at 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and at 2 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.  The kitchen operates from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Sunday through Thursday and from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and  Saturday.  Look for extended hours once summer gets closer as they hope to be open at 11 a.m. daily in the summer months. Captains can be contacted by calling 320-634-4311 or by email by visiting the website at captainsbg.com

Chris and Andrew said they would like to thank everyone for their support and “look forward to this new journey and they hope to see everyone at Captains.”