Todd Elliot and his wife, Carmen, moved to Manitowoc Earlier this month from Los Angeles to buy Warren’s Restaurant, a popular café that has served generations of customers since the late 1950’s. Two members of our news team, Damon Ryan, and Ryan Brahm sat down with Todd, the newest member of Manitowoc’s small business owner community, to hear his story.
When asked about why he wanted to move here, Todd stated that he and his wife wanted to downsize from their previous home in L.A. and settled on Wisconsin. Carmen then saw that Warren’s was for sale, and they jumped at the opportunity. Todd explained to our team that he started his professional career in the restaurant business. He then went to college and wound up as a part of “corporate America” as a CEO, a title he held for 21 years. Sadly an illness in the family caused him to shift into self-employment, leading to the opportunity to purchase Warren’s.
The purchase was finalized on July 3rd, and Todd took over in place of Mary Williams and her family. Todd told us that his message to her was “We appreciate everything that she has done. We studied the history of Warrens before we bought it, and that was part of the attraction. It’s historical!” He went on to tell us that he loves the people he gets to talk too every day, and comradery a business like Warren’s creates.
Damon asked Todd how the commute in Manitowoc compares to his old commute in LA. Todd said “Your 5:00 commute looks like a Sunday morning in California. There is no comparison. We like that. We like this small town.” The Elliot’s bought a house pretty close to work, a short six and a half minute commute.
When asked about the future of Warren’s Todd told us that he plans to do a remodel of the interior. He also said he wants to expand the hours of operation. As far as the menu goes, he will not get rid of anything, so there is no need to worry, your favorites are safe. He does plan to add some new items, so you just might find yourself with a new favorite.
Everyone here at Seehafer Broadcasting would like to Welcome Todd and Carmen Elliot to our community, and we wish you both the best of luck in your adventure as new owners of the Manitowoc staple, Warren’s Restaurant.
