Moose Jaw has such a rich history with Al Capone, the underground tunnels, agriculture, and much more.  

A restaurant and brewery in Wisconsin embraced that history so much that they based their business model around it.  

Moosejaw Pizza & Dells Brewing Co. is located in Wisconsin Dells, WI, and its marketing director, Jillian Murphy says that deciding on the name Moose Jaw came by accident.  

“One of the owners stumbled upon it online and started reading the infamous history of your town,” says Murphy. “This would be so fun to put together, as it has a little Capone draw, we get a lot of tourists from Chicago, and the railroad is right here in Wisconsin. The stars and moon aligned, and everybody thought it was a fun name, it’s a fun word to say, and it sticks out in your mind.” 

Unfortunately, none of the owners made their way to Moose Jaw to check Canada’s Most Notorious City, as all the research was done online.  

The Moose Jaw-based restaurant opened its doors in 2002 and is one of the largest brewpubs in the Midwest United States.  

Murphy explains that included within the restaurant and the menu are bits and pieces of Moose Jaw. 

“We have several historic photos that we got from the internet and purchased of the Moose Jaw and Empire Breweries and the history of those places. We have kind of alluded to it here and there with names like the Shaved Capone, the Moose Jaw Burger, and Moose Jaw Pie. We have a big, loaded funnel cake dessert called the Sasquatch. We sell a lot of moose items in our gift store.” 

Their website also explains the history of Moose Jaw in more detail.  

Moosejaw Dells has also showcased Canada, which includes big wood trusses that were imported from Canada, along with a Canadian Flag at the entrance of the restaurant, and they use maple syrup within a couple of their menu items. 

Murphy notes that though the restaurant isn’t Moose Jaw or Canadian-themed, in their mind it resembles their take on an establishment in the Great White North. 

“More like what we would imagine one of your restaurants or breweries would look like with the large animal mounts and the three-story lodge structure. It is what people would imagine Canada to be.” 

 The town and restaurant see five million tourists each year, some from Canada, and even people from Moose Jaw have made their way down to Wisconsin Dells. 

“When we have people from Moose Jaw specifically, they always make sure to tell our servers and bartenders. They say "Do you know the story? Usually, the staff aren’t too familiar with the story, and they grab one of the managers and by the end of it, we’ve made a friend with those customers sitting at the table. It’s interesting how excited they are to have that pull.” 

Wisconsin Dells is nestled within the United States’ Midwest portion of the country and is three hours north of Chicago, two and half hours southwest of Green Bay, and just under a two-hour drive from Milwaukee.  

It is known as the Waterpark Capital of the World, as it’s home to six water-themed parks within the community.  

Visit the Moosejaw Pizza and Dells Brewing Co. website, for more information.