STORIES OVER SUPPER. Ema Rieck (left) and Ella Wesenberg (right), co-owners of Eau Claire's The Good Wives (2161 Eastridge Center, Eau Claire) – and, now, Durand's Kingfisher Supper Club (214 W. Main St., Durand). The wife duo is ready to welcome back the community they’ve befriended since taking the reins of Kingfisher, slated to reopen this April.

Durand, a tight-knit town of just under 2,000 residents, is a mere 40 minutes downstream on the Chippewa River – or a day’s trip on the water for the adventurous Ema Rieck and Ella Wesenberg. This town is poised for the return of Kingfisher Supper Club, now under the ownership of Eau Claire’s The Good Wives proprietors.

Ella and Ema first experienced the appeal of the Kingfisher (214 W. Main St., Durand) establishment after canoeing down the Chippewa River for their wedding anniversary. They continued to dine at the supper club in the years which followed, building a relationship with its previous owners, Rebecca and Gary Bolger.

Fast forward to today, with the restaurant now being their own, Ema and Ella are ready to welcome back the community they’ve befriended to Kingfisher – slated to reopen this April.

“It’s pretty cool how small towns will often see a need for something and come together to create it,” Ema shared. “We hope guests can feel how we felt the first time we dined at Kingfisher; we felt really comfortable and almost like we had been there before.”

The co-owners – whether it be through the restaurant’s food or warm ambiance – hope to cultivate a space where the unique personalities and stories of this small town can flourish, appealing to both longtime Durand residents and those making the drive from the Eau Claire area and beyond.

As guests walk through Kingfisher’s doors on Main Street, they will be instantly transported by the intimate, dimly-lit atmosphere; this is where the nostalgic supper club energy comes to life.

The mood is set by the glowing red bar lighting; a central 360-degree bar and timeless details like an analog television set and Budweiser sconces – all thoughtfully crafted by Ema and Ella.

At the bar, the cocktail menu offerings will include your classic Wisconsin old fashioned – muddled sugar cube and all – along with martinis and dessert cocktails such as the Brandy Alexander.

Brick-laid arches usher customers into the expansive dining room, a space brightened by the light reflecting off the Chippewa River through wrap-around windows overlooking Durand’s natural landscape.

“It’s especially pretty when the sun is setting over the water,” Ema noted.

Dozens of tables fill the room, contributing to a timeless atmosphere – perfect for families and friends celebrating life’s special moments.

“There is something really special about deciding to travel together for an experience. It means we're choosing time spent together versus convenience.”
–Ema Rieck and Ella Wesenberg, co-owners of Kingfisher Supper Club.

“We hope (Kingfisher) can be a place where families can dine together and bump into neighbors, friends and coworkers,” the co-owners said. “We immediately got the sense that it was a place where the owners were also working – that they were passionate about what they were doing and the food they were creating.”

In back-of-house, Ella – the executive chef – will bring back classic supper club dishes recognizable to generations of dinners, but in her signature style Eau Clairians have come to love through The Good Wives.

From-scratch goods, wholesome ingredients and an eye for seasonality is what she loves most, Ella said.

Patrons can anticipate a customizable steak dinner experience. Choose from options including New York strip, hangar or petite tender and pair it with a variety of sauces such as béarnaise, blue cheese cream sauce, demi-glaze or compound butter.

Pictured left, a steak of your choice (New York strip, hangar and more) with a hasselback potato. To the right, a broccoli cheddar side – one of many vegetable options to pair with your meal.

“(Beef) chislic is a classic side that Ema grew up with in South Dakota and will hopefully be something new that customers will enjoy,” Ella said.

This dish is completed with your choice of potato – mashed, twice-baked, herb-roasted baby reds, house-cut fries and more.

The menu will feature seafood – including the classic Wisconsin fried fish fillet – and poultry options. Sides will consist of seasonal vegetables and house salads, with the highly coveted Dill Pickle Salad from The Good Wives making an appearance (if you know, you know!). Be sure to save room for the rotating dessert specials.

Kingfisher’s starters menu also honors the owners’ history, featuring a select South Dakota specialty from Ema’s birthplace and nods to a fish cocktail which Ella’s grandfather made throughout her life.

For the kids, you’ll find plenty of cheeseburgers, grilled cheese sandwiches and chicken strips.

A handful of staff from the previous iteration of the Kingfisher team intend to work at the reimagined supper club, Ema and Ella said. The duo only extends gratitude for both employees and former ownership, who will help set the positive tone for what’s to come.

“Supper clubs are destination places in their own kind of way,” Ella shared. Yet, the co-owners intend to place equal value on the local spots and watering holes where they have become regulars over the past few months while working on the new restaurant.

Ema and Ella’s recommendations outside of Kingfisher? Check out the visual art displays along The Orton Room within Corral Bar & Riverside Grill (318 W. Main St., Durand) – with an uncovered mural dating back to the nineteenth century. Along Main Street, Bookish Bliss (105 W. Main St.) and River & Grace (319 W. Main St.) have become Ema’s go-to spots to find goods and gifts for loved ones.

Coming soon just down the road, the duo curiously awaits Cowboy’s Stop n Shop, a storefront which will house a collection of retail finds from abandoned storage units.

All in all, the wife duo seems to be making a home of their own at their little corner in Durand. Ema and Ella invite all who have supported their journey to Kingfisher to share a meal, enjoy a refreshing drink and walk away with lasting memories in the new-to-them supper club.

“We both connect with the feeling of piling in a car on a Saturday night to go on a scenic drive for dinner,” the duo said. “There is something really special about deciding to travel together for an experience. It means we're choosing time spent together versus convenience.”

Dozens of tables fill the Kingfisher dining room – the perfect for families and friends to celebrate life’s special moments, the new co-owners said. Kingfisher Supper Club sits along the Chippewa River, on Main Street in Durand.

Follow along with Kingfisher Supper Club (214 W Main St., Durand) online via its website, kingfishersupperclub.com or social media platforms (@kingfishersupperclub). An opening date is expected in April of 2026; reservations will not be required for dine-in, though parties of eight or more will be encouraged to call ahead.