LITTLE BOHEMIA (aka Little Bo; aka Lil Bo) was built as a hot dog stand in 1932, featuring outdoor seating and a drive up window.  It immediately became the place to be on Saturday night for the Bohemian community who had settled on the western perimeter of the pioneer city.  Today the ethnic group has scattered, but Lil Bo’s has stood the test of time and still maintains its original name.  At the end of prohibition the building was expanded to include a tavern and its popularity continued to grow into the Traverse City landmark and icon it is today.  

 Lil Bo is blessed with fame in its own right, but basks in the glory of the late Walter Hagen.  The golf legend, who settled just outside of Traverse City on Long Lake after he retired, spent most of his waking hours at the small tavern where he would “hold court” or play a few games of bumper pool.  His exploits still abound whenever old timers congregate within the beautiful wood paneled walls.  Mr. Hagen lovingly reffered to Lil Bo as his “second home” and he made it a point to mention Lil Bo whenever he spoke at sporting events.  On the day that Arnold Palmer won his first British Open in 1961, “Tthe Hag” congratulated him personally via transatlantic phone from  Lil Bo.  When Palmer attended a memorial for Hagen in 1980, he stopped by to see Hagen’s “Lil Bo home.”

 Traverse City was growing and with a second expansion in 1947, so did Lil Bo.  A much needed renovation took place in 2005; new roof, new siding, new oak floor, new tongue and grove pine ceiling, new Formica, 4 new short bars replaced 5 booths (3 remain and are in the Dining Room), new furniture, new paint, and restroom upgrades. The addition of a full gas kitchen and a new menu featuring delicious dishes made to order and made from sctach, completed the renovation and brought new life to the little neighborhood family tavern.  The famous “Bo Burger” voted “The Best Burger in Town” by locals and visitors is still on the menu and is still a Traverse City favorite.  

 Everyone has a story about Lil Bo; this is the story about the bricks at the main entrance.  As part of the renovation a backhoe was brought in to dig up a portion of West Front Street to install a new 2” tap into the city’s main water line.  Bricks baring the name, “Nelsonville Block” were unearthed from beneath the layers of asphalt and concrete.  Scott Johnson, a lifetime resident with extensive knowledge of Traverse City’s rich history, was present when the bricks were dug up.  He stated that the bricks were at least 85 years old and could be as much as 125 years old.  The bricks were going to be tossed into a landfill – not!  The daughter of the owners had a better fate in mind for these very special bricks.  She salvaged 35 of them (for 35½ years, to date, that Lil Bo had been in her family), painstakingly cleaned each one with Meratic Acid, placed them in the new sidewalk at the front door, pressed the letters L&B (the actual wooden letters that once adorned the front of the building - see the article by table 100) into the wet concrete and finished it off with the year 2005 in the center, thus marking the date and securing the bricks as a new permanent part of Lil Bo’s famed history.

Nelsonville Brick Company: Hocking Valley, Ohio, an area abundant in clay, shale and coal provided the perfect environment for the commercial production of brick.  Nelsonville Brick Company, one of four such businesses to spring up in the Nelsonville area, was formed in 1871 and continued until 1937, finally a victim of the Depression and changing construction ideas.  In 1904, the Nelsonville Brick Company won first prize at the World’s Fair in St. Louis, MO for its street-paving brick.  Further distinction came with the contract to provide the Indianapolis Motor Speedway with paving bricks when the changeover from dirt surface to brick occurred.  Although today the bricked racing surface has been asphalted over, there still remains a 1½ foot wide strip of the original Nelsonville pavers at the finish line. To this day, the track carries the nickname, The Brickyard.” Search Nelsonville Brick Company on the Internet to learn more.

 In 1969, Eugene and Phyllis Freund purchased Lil Bo from the original owner.  In 2005, their children Edward J. Freund, a local jeweler and Nancy A. Freund of California took ownership of the family business.  Sadly Geno (as he was known) passed away December 7, 2006, but through his children’s efforts, Lil Bo will continue to add to its warm and rich history.  We thank you for your patronage, we truly appreciate your business.  ENJOY!!  Please take a moment to visit our website at LilBo.com and sign our guestbook or contact us directly at Email@LilBo.com

Featuring Traverse City’s first and only 4 season mural by local artist Barbara A. Wilson