SHEBOYGAN – Closure of the south side Pizza Hut, updates on the Livasu Village construction, and an outlook on the local housing market for 2026 were among the top business stories in February.
We also asked readers about their favorite places to get fish fry, checked out changes at Downtown 925, formerly named Rupp’s, and featured Ugly Mugs Cafe in Cedar Grove.
Business news also included updates on major developments, like a $5.5 million renovation project underway at HSHS St. Nicholas Hospital’s women and infants center; plans for housing redevelopment of the former Wells Fargo site near downtown Sheboygan; and Old Wisconsin’s expansion supported by $2.75 million in state income tax credits from Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation.
The Sheboygan Press spoke with housing experts about what the Sheboygan County market could look like in 2026.
Some predictions included normalization of the market with declining interest rates and some growth in the housing supply. Home prices are likely to increase but at a slower rate than previous years.
Prospective homebuyers may also see some more buying power, but it’s still a seller’s market.
Nine-O-Two on the Avenue, 902 Indiana Ave., was featured on America’s Best Restaurants Roadshow at the end of January. ABRR lends marketing support to locally owned mom-and-pop restaurants that lack resources to advertise.
An ABRR host tried some of the bar and grill’s most popular menu items, like tenderloin macaroni and cheese, a brisket Reuben and the 902 burger.
Sheboygan’s Pizza Hut on South Business Drive closed amid the chain restaurant’s plans to shutter about 250 “underperforming” locations.
That location opened in 1978 and was the second to open in the city. Former Green Bay Packers player Bob Long, who became a Pizza Hut franchisee after his football career, brought the first Pizza Hut to Sheboygan in 1969.
The Pizza Hut at 523 S. Taylor Drive is still open.
The Livasu Village, a dementia care community being built in the town of Wilson, is on track to have its first 20 homes ready by July.
The community center could also be ready by the summer, with amenities like a grocery store and coffee shop.
The Sheboygan Press toured a model home and learned that specific design elements, like lighting, colors and fixture placements, can aid individuals with dementia who may also have visual impairments.
Contact Alex Garner at 224-374-2332 or agarner@usatodayco.com.