MEDFORD, Wis. — Just two years ago, a historic building on Medford’s main street was in disrepair. Now, it has been transformed into The Prickly Pear, a vibrant wine and cheese bar that opened last year after two years of restoration work.

John Gasek, a Missouri native who moved to Medford in 2020, is the owner of this new establishment. He and his husband had the idea of opening a wine bar after finding that the community lacked such a venue. “We started doing some research and started thinking maybe a wine bar would be cool because that’s something that Medford didn’t really have,” Gasek explained. “Then we just kind of tossed it all together where we have some wine and cheese and books.”

Originally, the building served as a bank and still features its original vaults. It has a rich history, having also been home to a newspaper and an immigration office that assisted many German immigrants in the area. Gasek noted that visitors occasionally mention their family history, recalling how their ancestors learned English in the upper floors of the building.

However, by the time Gasek purchased the property in 2022, it was in a state of disrepair. “Oh boy, it was horrible,” he recalled. “I mean the windows were falling out onto the sidewalks and you could stand in the basement and see through the whole building and see the sky.” The structure, approximately 140 years old, had suffered fire damage, water damage, and was infested with pests.

Transforming the building into a functioning wine and cheese bar took intense effort over a two-year period. Gasek now offers local and international wines, a selection of cheeses, a small menu, and a cozy reading nook. He believes that wine and books complement each other perfectly, saying, “There is nothing quite like sitting down with a book and a good glass of wine and just relaxing and forgetting about the world for a bit.”