Door County is known for its historic landmarks, and Al Johnson's Swedish Restaurant & Butik in Sister Bay is one of them, largely thanks to the matriarch of the family, Ingert (Forsberg) Johnson.

Ingert, 90, married Al Johnson in 1959 until his passing at 84 in 2010.  Their three children, Lars, Annika, and Rolf, and several grandchildren continue the legacy of the business today.  This year, Al Johnson's Swedish Restaurant & Butik is celebrating its 75th anniversary with a rich history impacted significantly by Ingert.

According to the Al Johnson's Swedish Restaurant website, Ingert Forsberg traveled to the United States from her home country, Sweden, and met Al Johnson after traveling up from Chicago after being introduced to Door County by a friend.

After honeymooning in Europe, Ingert was brought into the restaurant's operations and convinced Al to sell lingonberries and Swedish clogs at the cashier station.  The success of sales led to the opening of the first retail store next store called The Butik.  The business imported most of the products from Sweden into the store, with Al always crediting his wife for diversifying the restaurant's business and expanding its success over the years.

(photo courtesy of Al Johnson's Swedish Restaurant & Butik's Facebook account)