Al Johnson's Swedish Restaurant facts for kids

Al Johnson's Swedish Restaurant is a special family-owned restaurant in Sister Bay, Wisconsin. It's famous for its delicious Swedish food and a unique Scandinavian feel. What makes it truly stand out are the goats! You can often see them grazing on the grass roof during summer days, which is a fun sight for visitors.

A Restaurant with a Story

The restaurant began in 1949. Its owner, Al Johnson, first called it Al's Home Cooking. Later, it became known as Al Johnson's Swedish Restaurant & Butik.

In 1973, Al Johnson decided to give the restaurant a big makeover. He brought in wooden logs all the way from a building in Norway! He also added a special sod roof, which is a roof covered with grass. Al's wife, Ingert, redesigned the inside. She made it look more like a traditional Scandinavian home. Ingert also opened a gift shop called Al's Butik. This shop gave people something fun to do while they waited for a table.

After the renovation, a friend named Wink Larson played a joke on Al. He gave Al a goat named Oscar! Wink thought it would be funny to put Oscar on the new grass roof. People walking by noticed Oscar right away. This gave Al an idea! He decided to get more goats and put them on the roof as a fun way to attract customers.

In 1996, the Johnsons officially registered "Goats on the Roof" as a trademark. This means other restaurants in the United States cannot have goats on their roofs in the same way. In late 2020, Al Johnson's opened another Scandinavian-inspired shop next to their beer garden. This shop sells many items with a rich Scandinavian history.

Where to Find It

Al Johnson's is located on the main street in the town of Sister Bay, Wisconsin. Sister Bay is a charming place found in Door County, Wisconsin.

Goats and the Goat Cam

The restaurant has two cameras that look over the roof. These cameras let people watch the goats at any time of day, from spring until October. The goats are taken off the roof at night. They are also removed if the weather gets too hot, usually when it reaches 80 degrees Fahrenheit (about 27 degrees Celsius).

Once the goats are done with their "work day," they go to a farm. This farm is just outside Sister Bay. One of Al Johnson's sons and his wife run this special farm for the goats.

Goat grazing on roof