Sitting Down with Chef Sean of CHAR Grillhouse to Get the Lowdown on their Restaurant Flips
One of the greatest aspects Wausau has to offer is its vibrant culinary scene. Over the past few years, the area's food culture has been booming with the emergence of new restaurants, innovative cuisines, and exciting changes. A restaurant that has been driving innovation lately is CHAR Grillhouse, located in the heart of downtown Wausau. Normally focused on New American Cuisine, CHAR takes its restaurant and completely flips its concept for one night to explore and immerse itself in a whole new cuisine. These flips have received acclaim and have patrons eagerly waiting for the next one. Earlier this month, I had the opportunity to interview CHAR's Executive Chef, Sean, for all the details on their restaurant flips and what makes them so successful. Here is a summarized account of our conversation:
These restaurant flips began in February of this year, with the first being a flavor-punching Indian Night. In March, they followed up with a lovely Greek theme. Their latest and biggest success was Lobster Night in July, having sold out in just four hours. Though these flips may have begun this year, Chef Sean had wanted to do this since coming on board at CHAR in December of 2024. He had previously done a similar format under a previous chef in Delafield and wanted to implement his experiences here in the Wausau area. Chef Sean explains that these flips break up the monotony of the job and the work of the line cooks. "It's new and exciting! I always wanted to do this wherever I ended up going. Cooking steaks is fun, but doing this breaks up the monotony."
With the various responsibilities that can weigh down the job at times, having a passion-focused outlet for the entire team keeps it fresh. If there is something Chef Sean is keen on, it's praising his wonderful team. "I wanted to show that we are culinary and food-centric minded. We have a talented team! I want to showcase that and bring new food experiences to Wausau." In fact, the concepts for the flips all come from the staff. Chef Sean will meet with his team and ask them what they're interested in doing, what they want to showcase, and what they are passionate about. All this plays into what makes CHAR's restaurant flips so successful. "A successful flip is one where we have fun! Where the staff and I get to enjoy it as much as the guests." Of course, these thematic nights also garner positive reviews and revenue, but it is the creative freedom that keeps these flips fresh, fun, and exciting. One of the ways that these flips have been challenging is timing. "We’ve done these during busy periods, as well as slow ones, and having another menu to prep in the background is one way to challenge our prep time and management." Another challenge was finding ways to elevate dishes, like reimagining street foods or simple meals one wouldn't think of having in a restaurant. All of these roadblocks help grow the team and Chef Sean as they work together to find solutions.
I asked Chef Sean if he could give us a sneak peek at CHAR's next flip. "We’re toying with Seoul Food... [or] we might do a collab with other restaurants. There aren’t too many rules about it." Chef Sean even mentioned doing a "rude" restaurant flip, where the appeal is that the staff is purposefully curt with the guests, and both parties are aware and enjoying the brashness. No matter what path CHAR decides to go, I know it'll be splendid! Be sure to keep an eye out for their next restaurant flip and don't miss out on snagging a spot.
"The team is doing great. They are what make CHAR amazing!"
- Chef Sean
