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Good Eggs was hatched over beverages with close friend Fred Alley, the co-founder of Door County's American Folklore Theatre and a national award-winning lyricist and librettist. Alley thought it was time Bremer moved beyond being a ski bum.

"Fred said if I didn't find something useful to do with myself, he would," Bremer said. Alley thought Door County needed an inexpensive breakfast restaurant. Burritos entered the conversation.

"We ate like that in college," Bremer continued. "Anything in the fridge, put it in a tortilla. Make a burrito."

Although Bremer had spent a lot of time working in restaurants, he didn't know how to make a new one happen – choose a location, negotiate a lease, secure vendors and comply with all of the necessary rules and regulations. Alley, who intended to invest his own money in the venture, handled all of that.

The two men signed partnership papers on April 1, 2001. Exactly one month later Alley suddenly died while jogging on a Door County country road. "We were partners for a month. I felt like Fred left me holding the bag," Bremer said.

The restaurant moved forward. Bremer obtained a small business loan and opened the doors. The first couple of summers were a struggle.

"It was good I had all of that experience as a ski bum," Bremer said. "I knew how to live on no money."

Word of mouth has built Good Eggs into a popular restaurant, and 11 years after he died, Alley's influence is still evident. "There was a big egalitarian streak in Fred, and we have that here," the owner said.

"We're set up to treat everyone the same here. Everybody stands in line and watches us make their burritos."

The surfboard tables are a product of the brief partnership. "They were Fred's idea. We wanted the restaurant to look cool, but we didn't know anything about design," Bremer said.

"This restaurant is Fred's gift to me."

Owners of successful dining concepts often get the itch to expand, and Good Eggs certainly appears to be a fast food idea that could be replicated in many locations. But that would probably not match Bremer's lifestyle choices.

What about it, Joel? "I'm waiting for my Ray Kroc to show up," he says with a smile.

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