Formerly: Nashotah Inn
Nashotah, Wisconsin · Founded 1848 · Building: 1848 (multi-period structure; upper stories rebuilt after 1917 fire)
An 1848 Nashotah stagecoach inn later named for Captain Pabst's red-circle logo, now revived as a Geronimo Hospitality Group supper club.
Red Circle Inn began in 1848 as the Nashotah Inn, opened by Bavarian immigrants Francis and Anna Magdalena Schraudenbach on Watertown Plank Road. Captain Frederick Pabst purchased the inn in 1889 and linked it to the Pabst Brewing red-circle identity, although sources differ on the exact year of the name change. A 1917 fire reshaped the building, and the restaurant was renewed again after Geronimo Hospitality Group bought it in 2022.
Bavarian immigrants Francis and Anna Magdalena Schraudenbach opened the Nashotah Inn as a stagecoach stop on Watertown Plank Road.
Source: Red Circle Inn, "Our History," accessed September 1, 2026; OnMilwaukee, "A look at more than 170 years of history at Red Circle Inn," October 31, 2023
Captain Frederick Pabst purchased the Nashotah Inn. Current Red Circle history says he named it Red Circle Inn after the Pabst Brewing logo; another local history says the name appears to have come about a decade later.
Source: Red Circle Inn, "Our History," accessed September 1, 2026; Geronimo Hospitality Group, "When Brewers Bought Supper," September 30, 2025; OnMilwaukee, October 31, 2023
A major fire burned the inn's upper two stories. Local history says firefighters saved the original 1889 Pabst bar, but the preservation detail requires architectural and fire-record verification.
Source: Red Circle Inn, "Our History," accessed September 1, 2026; Geronimo Hospitality Group, September 30, 2025
Frederick Pabst sold the inn to Steve Pulaski Sr. and Hulda Pulaski, who were connected to the Pabst household. The Pulaski family ran Red Circle Inn for four generations until 1976.
Source: Red Circle Inn, "Our History," accessed September 1, 2026
The four-generation Pulaski-family ownership era ended, according to the inn's current historical account.
Source: Red Circle Inn, "Our History," accessed September 1, 2026
Geronimo Hospitality Group acquired Red Circle Inn from Norm and Martha Eckstaedt. The dining room temporarily closed for renovations while private events continued.
Source: Geronimo Hospitality Group acquisition announcement, September 20, 2022; OnMilwaukee, September 20, 2022; Fox 6, October 5, 2022
Red Circle Inn reopened its renovated dining room after about six months, retaining its historic atmosphere and Pabst-era visual identity.
Source: Milwaukee Magazine, "Restaurant Review: Red Circle Inn Has Been Reinvented," August 21, 2023
Red Circle Inn remains active in Nashotah as a Geronimo Hospitality Group restaurant, bar, and event venue.
Source: Red Circle Inn official website and reservation pages, accessed September 1, 2026; OpenTable, Red Circle Inn Restaurant, August 22, 2026
Every claim gets rated. A business's own website can never earn "documented."
The inn's own history and OnMilwaukee identify Bavarian immigrants Francis and Anna Magdalena Schraudenbach as the 1848 founders of Nashotah Inn. This is strongly repeated by current local sources, but original deeds, tavern licenses, census records, and 1848 newspaper notices were not inspected in this review.
Current Red Circle and Geronimo histories say Frederick Pabst purchased the inn in 1889 and gave it the Red Circle name in reference to the Pabst Brewing red-circle identity. OnMilwaukee agrees on the 1889 purchase but says the renaming appears to have occurred about a decade later. The Pabst connection is strong; the exact naming date remains unresolved.
Red Circle Inn and Geronimo Hospitality Group market it as Wisconsin's oldest restaurant, and its 1848 stagecoach-inn lineage is strong. However, the dining room closed temporarily for about six months during the 2022–2023 renovation, and this review did not complete a statewide comparison or full operating-continuity audit. The historical title is credible but remains unresolved as a strict continuous-service claim.
The inn's current history says a 1917 fire burned the upper two stories but local firefighters saved the original 1889 Pabst bar, which remains in place. This is a compelling preservation story, but original fire reports, photographs, architectural assessments, or bar provenance records were not reviewed.
Geronimo Hospitality Group announced its 2022 acquisition and stated it would continue operating Red Circle as a restaurant and event venue. Current Red Circle materials and reservation pages reflect the ongoing Geronimo operation.
Red Circle Inn was founded in 1848 by Francis Pabst.
Red Circle began as the Nashotah Inn, founded in 1848 by Bavarian immigrants Francis and Anna Magdalena Schraudenbach. Captain Frederick Pabst was a later owner who bought the property in 1889.
Source: Red Circle Inn, "Our History," accessed September 1, 2026; OnMilwaukee, October 31, 2023
Captain Frederick Pabst immediately renamed the inn Red Circle Inn in 1889.
Current Red Circle history says Pabst bought the inn in 1889 and named it after the Pabst red-circle logo. OnMilwaukee agrees on the purchase date but says the name change appears to have happened about a decade later. The Pabst connection is clear; the exact renaming date remains unresolved.
Source: Red Circle Inn, "Our History"; Geronimo Hospitality Group, September 30, 2025; OnMilwaukee, October 31, 2023
Red Circle Inn has served restaurant meals without interruption since 1848.
Red Circle has an 1848 inn lineage, but the dining room temporarily closed during the 2022–2023 Geronimo Hospitality Group renovation. The historic claim remains strong, but uninterrupted modern restaurant service is not established.
Source: Geronimo Hospitality Group acquisition announcement, September 20, 2022; Milwaukee Magazine, August 21, 2023
The current Red Circle Inn is entirely original 1848 fabric.
The inn dates to 1848 but suffered a 1917 fire that burned the upper two stories. The property is a multi-period historic structure with later reconstruction and renovations.
Source: Red Circle Inn, "Our History"; Geronimo Hospitality Group, September 30, 2025
Red Circle survives because each ownership era found a reason to invest in a building already embedded in Lake Country travel history. The Schraudenbachs served stagecoach traffic, Pabst made it a social destination, the Pulaski family carried it through four generations, and later owners preserved the Pabst bar and supper-club character. Geronimo's 2022 renovation interrupted dining service but returned the inn to active restaurant and event use with its historic story more central than ever.
Red Circle Inn began as the Nashotah Inn in 1848, opened by Bavarian immigrants Francis and Anna Magdalena Schraudenbach as a stagecoach stop on Watertown Plank Road. Captain Frederick Pabst bought the inn in 1889 and tied it to the Pabst Brewing red-circle identity. The building was reshaped by a 1917 fire, then renewed again after Geronimo Hospitality Group purchased and renovated it in 2022–2023.
Red Circle Inn is widely promoted as Wisconsin's oldest restaurant and has a strong 1848 stagecoach-inn lineage. However, the dining room temporarily closed during the 2022–2023 Geronimo renovation, and this review has not compared every older Wisconsin restaurant or audited every operating period. Its statewide oldest-continuously-operating title remains plausible but unresolved.
The inn's name is linked to Captain Frederick Pabst, who bought the Nashotah Inn in 1889. Current Red Circle history says he named it after the red-circle design associated with Pabst Brewing Company. Another local history agrees on the Pabst purchase but suggests the name change may have happened about a decade later, so the exact renaming date is uncertain.
A major fire in 1917 burned the inn's upper two stories. Current inn history says firefighters saved the original 1889 Pabst bar, but this preservation detail requires original fire and architectural records for confirmation. The building was rebuilt and remains active today.
Geronimo Hospitality Group owns and operates Red Circle Inn. The group acquired the property in 2022 from longtime caretakers Norm and Martha Eckstaedt, temporarily closed the dining room for renovations, and reopened it in 2023.
Yes. Red Circle Inn currently offers dinner, bar service, private events, and reservations in Nashotah. Current reservation listings show dinner hours beginning around 3 or 4:30 p.m., depending on the source and day; confirm the current schedule directly before visiting.
N44W33013 Watertown Plank Rd, Nashotah, WI 53058
(262) 367-4883
Red Circle Inn is an active Nashotah supper-club-style restaurant, bar, and private-event venue. Dinner hours and reservation availability vary by day; check current booking information directly before visiting.