Middle of Nowhere celebrates 10 years
BY BECKY UEHLING
GRANT TRIBUNE
The Middle of Nowhere Bar in Venango just recently celebrated its 10-year-anniversary on November 3, and, according to its patrons, it’s a great place for a good meal and good times.
“There is always good food and a good crowd here,” said regular Chuck Kuskie who is a regular at the bar.
Out of 468 reviews on Facebook, 88 percent recommended the Middle of Nowhere as an excellent place to eat with a great atmosphere.
Ten years ago, Rodney Lousberg returned to his roots in Venango to open the Middle of Nowhere, which was formerly the Cactus Palace. Lousberg said although Venango and the surrounding communities have been good to him, the road hasn’t always been easy.
“For five years, things went pretty well, then COVID hit and changed a lot,” he said. “We used to get more families with kids, and used to do more things. COVID was really hard on businesses like this.”
Lousberg also commented that Venango’s remote location is another challenge, but said he does get quite a few people coming from a distance after finding the bar on the internet.
“The name of the bar has also been a draw for people curious to come see what the middle of nowhere looks like,” he said.
Lousberg, 58, is the son of the late Duane and Lois Lousberg, who owned and ran Shorty’s Rec Bar from 1975 to 1989 in Venango. Lousberg had good memories of his parents’ business and his childhood in Venango. After high school, Lousberg entered the Navy and served three years. After this he held various jobs in Nebraska and Colorado, including his own trucking business in Colorado.
With his parents each in poor health, and both passing away in 2015, Lousberg found himself more and more back in his hometown. With the bar up for sale, he decided he would give the business a try.
He said it has been a learning experience getting the bar’s customer base built up and perfecting the menu, which has been trial and error, he said.
Helping Lousberg on his staff include Roxane Reynolds and Dee Bryan. Lousberg said he doesn’t plan on doing anything in particular to celebrate the anniversary, but just encourages the public to come and see what the Middle of Nowhere is all about.
The bar is open Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. They are closed on Sunday. For questions, call Rodney at 308-447-5590.