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The partnership began the way all great stories do: with a treasure trove of artifacts. Joel and Sarah arrived at Thysse’s offices with boxes filled with decades of photos, mementos, and remnants of the original Vitense experience dating back to 1955.
“It was just really great to see and explore all the wonderful history they had to share with us that day,” said Angie Biermeier, Facility Branding Senior Designer at Thysse. “It was fun to listen to their stories and look through their beautiful photography from the past.”
Among the discoveries were vintage signs, including one that once stood proudly at the original Schroeder Road location. That signage would soon find new life, inspiring an element in the project’s final design.
“It was fun to replicate that sign that lived out in front of the building back in 1955,” said Angie. “We built that as a three-dimensional piece that had some lit elements, as it stood back in 1955.”
The revitalized space incorporates layers of history—archival photos, quotes, and design flourishes that reflect both the legacy of the business and the new chapter it’s entering.
“As you can imagine, for a business that's 70 years old, we have a zillion pictures of—you know what it was like here when they first started. This was a farm and George and Odie, you know, actually planted the trees on the par 3. So we had so many cool things to share that we wanted and there were so many other things that we could have added. …But it's exactly how I envisioned it. You know, working together with Thysse to try to put this together from so many pictures and trying to tell the story—I think they did an excellent job.”
- Sarah Weitz
For Joel and Sarah, the updated space wasn’t just about aesthetics—it was about the values that have defined Vitense for generations.
“We wanted to accomplish a place for people to gather, a neighborhood spot,” said Sarah. “Our values at Vitense, which we’ve tried to carry on from George and Odie way back, is to create a feeling of community, a feeling of family.”
Lynn Haker, a long-time restaurateur and now part of the Vitense team, helped bring his own legacy into the mix. Lynn was the creator of Babe’s, a beloved bar and restaurant that operated for 32 years right across the street from Vitense. When the opportunity arose to revive that spirit in a new location, he brought his experience—and his customer base—with him.
“I was trying, in my mind, to recreate Babe’s. I didn’t really want to suggest calling it Babes because I wanted it to have its own identity—so I thought well, let’s call it George’s, named for the George Vitense, the founder. But my good friend, Bill Roach said it would be a mistake if we didn’t use the 30 years of history that we had across the street. That’s what make it click and it’s proven out that he was absolutely right about the neighborhood wanting Babe’s back. It’s been just a very cool and neat experience to see a lot of people come back that were our customers, you know, five years ago.”
- Lynn Haker
Beth Hamacher, Facility Branding Business Development Manager at Thysse, shared some additional thoughts off-camera: “The opportunity to carefully stitch together the stories of these iconic Madison businesses in ways that honor the past but converge in something new—a durable amplification of what was—that’s the kind of challenge we love within Thysse’s Creative Services Team.” She added, “It’s really where the magic is—spaces like this take on this emotional aura that just pull you in. History is powerful that way. That heritage story differentiates businesses and elevates everything about them…I mean, knowing George actually planted the trees on the par 3—or seeing Lynn onsite and knowing the Babes story—you just can’t look at them the same way once you know that. Like I said, it’s magic—and I just love seeing the way our designers conjure it and the team executes it.”
As the project wrapped and new visitors began to explore the updated space, the emotional connection was clear.
“It’s a unique local business with a very unusual combination of activities,” said Joel. “Many of them created by George Vitense, my grandfather, back in 1955. …It’s a significant business to the community. Generations of families have been through this business, and it brings back so many wonderful memories.”
Designing with history in mind isn’t always easy, but it’s one of the things Thysse does best. The Vitense project combined storytelling, design strategy, custom fabrication, and installation to create a space that doesn’t just look good—it feels right.
“We had historic pictures going all the way back to 1955—some quotes, some timelines,” said Joel. “Here we are today, 70 years later—recognizing this man and the family.”
Every business has a story—and when it’s time to tell yours, we’d love to help.
Whether you’re rebranding a legacy space, building a new facility, or simply looking to create a deeper emotional connection with your guests and colleagues, our team can help you design and execute a branded environment that bolsters your unique identity and supports your mission.
Visit Thysse.com to learn more about our Facility Branding services or reach out to start a conversation. Let’s create something meaningful—together.
