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New owners bring Fennimore landmark back
Hilltop Tavern set to reopen by end of March
hilltop for web
Scot Lang and Corrina Friederick

It’s been just under a year since the Hilltop Tavern closed its doors. The tavern was an institution, having been open for 67 years when owner Lloyd Tarrell turned the key to lock the doors one final time. Now, that door is set to re-open at the end of the month when Corrina Friederick and Scot Lang welcome customers back.

“We had kind of been joking around about opening it (back up) for a few months,” Corrina says. Then, around a month ago, the two decided, “Why not?”

This month the two are busy getting things ready for the looming open date. That includes putting in some new steps and some painting.

“I don’t want to change too much,” Corrina says, though she admits some areas would be improved with a little freshening. “It was such a great business.”

The couple wants the bar to feel much as it did for regulars before it closed last year. It was a tradition, Corrina says, a place families came to eat or play pool. It was a stop for moms and dads to while away an hour as their children roller-skated at the rink across the street. It was the place to watch the game or catch some Friday night fish fry. Most certainly, it was a place to gather for a hand or four of euchre.

Some features are quite certainly safe. The art deco bar and the vintage beer cooler sitting up front retain their prominence.

The kitchen will open for lunch each day and serve dinner Wednesday through Saturday. Corrina says customers can get the usual bar burgers and fries, but can also expect to get steak, fish, and pizza.

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For the complete article, please see the March 15, 2018 issue of the Fennimore Times.