Alongside our restaurant legacy runs another proud family tradition — cheesemaking. Randt Dairy in Loyal, Wisconsin, owned and operated by Gordon Adolf Randt, Dale's godfather and mother's brother, along with his son Verlyn Randt, was a cornerstone of the family's heritage. Both were licensed cheesemakers who understood that in those early years, having a good starter culture was everything — without it, you were dead in the water. Randt Dairy was known for its daisy wheels and excelled in Colby cheese, the only cheese that originated in the United States. 

The family's cheesemaking roots in Loyal ran deep, beginning with Catlin Corner Dairy in 1949, followed later by Randt Dairy. The broader story of Wisconsin cheesemaking is one of remarkable history — in 1885, Joe Steinwand created Colby cheese right here in Wisconsin. Colby has since been officially named the Wisconsin State Cheese, a fitting honor for a variety born from the heart of America's Dairyland. Today the United States leads the world in total cheese production, surpassing France, Italy, the Netherlands, and Germany. 

The Hoernke family's roots began with a dream, faith, hope, and passion that established their place in the cheesemaking industry in Hilbert, Wisconsin in the 1800s. There were more than one Hoernke family involved in the cheesemaking tradition, each carrying forward that same spirit of dedication and craft. 

The Hoernke Cheese Factory was built by Lawrence Hoernke — the brother of Dale's grandmother, Bertha — a cheesemaker since the age of nineteen. The factory was later established on the site of the original Steinwand plant. With the help of his sons Dale, David, and Ron, and son-in-law Mark Carpenter — all of whom became licensed cheesemakers — the plant carried on that proud tradition. When the plant eventually closed, David, Dale, and Mark Carpenter went on to serve as USDA cheese inspectors. 

The Frankfurt Cheese Factory, owned by Delmer and Audrey Telschow with their son Dennis Telschow, was another proud part of the family's cheesemaking heritage. Until Dennis went on to start Telschow Trucking, the family kept the tradition alive. Delmer later became a valued member of the Belvedere Supper Club team, serving in maintenance and delivering meals as part of the Meals on Wheels program. 

The Central Wisconsin Cheesemakers held a special place in the broader community as well. They would host the Wisconsin Restaurant Association trade show in Milwaukee, bringing together two of the region's proudest industries and making it a truly special event for all involved. 

Another cousin in the Hoernke family, Albert Hoernke, learned the art of cheesemaking at the age of eighteen in Hilbert, Wisconsin, at a store owned by his friend Teddy Runte. Albert went on to purchase a forty acre farm along old Highway PP going out to Potter, Wisconsin, where a cheese factory stood on the adjoining property — allowing him to work both the farm and the factory and further develop his craft. Albert's parents were Johanna and Otto Raddatz. In 1898, construction began on the Cold Spring Cheese Factory, owned by Albert and Anna Hoernke — Anna having come from the Graffen family before taking the Hoernke name. Together, Albert and Anna ran both the farm and the cheese factory.