The Little Pink Restaurant’s owner, Helen Ponczoch, dies at 98

Helen Ponczoch was the former owner of The little pink restaurant in Wisconsin, which she ran with her husband Melvin.

Saturday saw the passing of Helen Ponczoch, formerly of Wisconsin Rapids’ Little Pink Restaurant.

Helen Ponczoch, who co-owned The Little Pink Restaurant in Wisconsin Rapids for roughly 40 years with her husband Melvin, passed away early on Saturday morning, according to her daughter Pat Kozicki, who spoke to the Daily Tribune. Age-wise, she was 98.

After the Fine Lunch Café was constructed in 1964, Helen and Melvin ran it. They initially sold the restaurant in 1978, but a few years later they bought it back and changed the name to The Little Pink Restaurant, formally referring to it as Helen’s favorite hue, which is how most people already referred to it.

The Little Pink Restaurant was owned and operated by the couple up until 2008 when Melvin fell ill and was unable to work there. At the age of 95, he passed away two years later.

Helen enjoyed caring for her regulars as well as baking and cooking. She informed the Daily Tribune in 2017 that she was still able to recall the orders of her visitors and the number of pounds of meat and gravy she needed to prepare for particular occasions. Helen remembered identifying customers based on their orders rather than their names. She could get someone’s lunch ready as soon as they stepped in.

Patrons

Every morning at 4:15 a.m., Helen arrived at the restaurant to get an early start on making dozens of enormous loaves of bread for the patrons. Over the years, she made practically everything herself, and almost everything on the menu was handcrafted and made from scratch. Helen didn’t record her recipes, and she frequently assessed her success based on how they appeared.

She frequently stated to the Daily Tribune throughout the years that she never wanted anyone to go hungry and that she always wanted to look after her hard-working clients. Before the deer hunting season, she would stay up all night to bake three times as many loaves of bread so the hunters would have sustenance to carry into the woods.

“I put my whole heart in it,” Helen told the Daily Tribune in 1989. “I want to treat people like I want to be treated.”

Every year for decades that she worked as a community volunteer, Helen produced thousands of loaves of bread. In addition, she served celebrities including actress Tyne Daly and won Restaurant Pick of the Month honors from Discover Wisconsin Radio.

Untreatable brain tumor

Helen’s love of baking and giving back to the neighborhood persisted even after the restaurant closed in 2008. She raised money for her 3-year-old great-grandson who had an untreatable brain tumor by selling hot beef sandwiches with mashed potatoes and gravy as takeout meals.

By 12:30 p.m., the 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. fundraising event had run out of food and takeout containers. Since then, she has frequently prepared food and baked goods for community fundraising events, such as those for the South Wood County Humane Society and the Halloween Aid Benefit.

At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Helen turned 96, and her family surprised her with “A Little Pink Birthday Parade.” Over 100 vehicles participated in the 45-minute parade, which was adorned with placards and balloons. Her family reported that she claimed, “I don’t even think I will be able to sleep tonight,” following the incident.

Helen Ponczoch Age, Family, and Early Life 

Helen Ponczoch was 98 years old. She was of American nationality and white ethnicity.

The date of birth, her Zodiac, and the details on the parents of Helen Ponczoch isn’t available.

Helen Ponczoch Career, What was her Profession?

Ponczoch and her husband Melvin shared ownership of The Little Pink Restaurant in Wisconsin Rapids for around 40 years.

Helen and Melvin ran the Fine Lunch Café after it was built in 1964. The restaurant was initially sold by them in 1978, but a few years later they bought it back and changed the name to The Little Pink Restaurant, officially referring to it as Helen’s favorite color, which is how most people already referred to it.

The couple owned and ran The Little Pink Restaurant until 2008 when Melvin got sick and was unable to do so. He died two years later at the age of 95.

Even after the restaurant closed in 2008, Helen continued to enjoy baking and giving back to the community. She sold takeout hot beef sandwiches with mashed potatoes and gravy to earn money for her 3-year-old great-grandson who had an incurable brain tumor.

The 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. fundraising event ran out of food and takeaway containers by 12:30 p.m. Since then, she has regularly made food and baked goods for neighborhood fundraising events, including those for the Halloween Aid Benefit and the South Wood County Humane Society.

Which school and college did she go to?

As the early life details of Helen Ponczoch are very limited, unfortunately, we aren’t able to find details on the high school she attended or the university she graduated from.

However, if we gain any further details on her education background we will surely update this article.

Helen Ponczoch Net Worth, How much does she earn?

As the income details of Helen Ponczoch aren’t known, no information on her net worth is known.

Also Read: Austalian Multibillonaire Entrepeneur, Dietrich Mateschitz, dies at 78

Helen Ponczoch Husband, What is her relationship?

Helen Ponczoch was married to her husband Melvin until the year 2008 when he got seriously ill and passed away. The couple is survived by their daughter Pat.

Is she available on any social media platforms?

As for the social media reach of Helen Ponczoch, we did a brief search for the social handle of Helen on social apps such as Instagram, Facebook and Twitter but unfortunately, weren’t able to find her on any social media platforms.

FAQs about Helen Ponczoch.

Physical Appearance of Helen Ponczoch’s Height, Weight

Interesting facts about Helen Ponczoch’s which you should be known