Business Spotlight
Houghton’s Jackson Street Pub
EDITOR’S NOTE: This is one of the original stories when BizNews began as Engage Greater La Crosse, hired to run a campaign called “Get on Living Stronger” – tell the stories and promote local, small businesses during the pandemic.
Greater La Crosse is a great place to live – due both beautiful and numerous locally owned restaurants, shops and small businesses that line our streets. People who visit and relocate here remark on our authenticity.
Local businesses grow local service providers (accountants, attorneys, cleaners, food suppliers, etc.).
Local businesses create jobs for local families – our friends and neighbors.
At Houghton’s
The crew at Houghton’s Jackson Street Pub is keeping their chin up at this home-style restaurants (aka YUM!) but 2020 has their Viterbo lunch crowd and events crowd down. Help keep their spirits up by ordering lunch.
Owner Keith Carson Stays Positive During COVID
Keeping their chin up, but treading COVID water is difficult.
Meet Your Neighbor: Keith Carson
From Signage Expert Turned Business Owner
BY VICKI MARKUSSEN
Keith Carson isn’t afraid to speak up.
When I first met Keith, he was entrenched with the City of La Crosse over sign ordinances. Keith, who worked for a billboard company at the time, was the voice for businesses who rely on signs for location-finding and advertising. For the non-businesses, they help us sell our homes and our … er … very valued items in a rummage sale.
Keith was the voice of reason to ensure government heard all voices.
He was also a passionate backbone to the River City Waterski Show until stepping away a few years ago.
Keith’s generosity is as strong as his voice and knowledge.
(And don’t get him talking about his love of sitting in his bobcat brushing snow in the wee hours as part of his snow plowing business).
In 2016, as Keith approached 30 years in the sign business, they cut his position.
Not one to throw a pity party (as you’ll see) Keith, and his wife Mary, formed a new path. They purchased Houghton’s, across the street from Viterbo’s Fine Arts Center at 1002 Jackson St, La Crosse.
Let’s see how our neighbor is doing.
Irish Means Everything
Houghton’s logo replaces the apostrophe in its name with a four leaf clover for a reason. Its Irish heritage runs deep and flows into a fun atmosphere that feels a lot like the 80s show Cheers. It feels like a place where employees genuinely want to know your name.
New owners Keith and Mary Carson wanted to keep the restaurant’s heritage for penny, nickel, dime lunch specials while serving all the comfort foods – meatloaf, meatballs, big chicken and of course, a traditional Wisconsin Fish Fry.
Wisconsin Governor Tony Ever’s order to close came at the worst time. St. Patrick’s Day.
