A neighborhood tavern and supper club that’s been in operations 46 years near downtown Janesville gets new owners — and soon, an outside makeover.
Theresa and Chris Esser have bought Briggs’ White Oak at 429 N. Parker Drive.
Theresa Esser tells Janesville’s Alcohol License Advisory Committee the goal for now is to spruce up the building’s exterior with new siding and a new roof.
In the immediate future, the White Oak will sell prepackaged frozen food like pizzas because the place no longer has a license to run a full-service kitchen. The Essers say they plan to eventually fix up the kitchen to rekindle the White Oak as a supper club.
The White Oak was established in 1979. In the past, it was a neighborhood hot spot for steaks and a fish fry. One of the White Oak’s rooms for years was used as a showcase for dozens of Korean War artifacts.
