The Royal Purple 2024 Best of Whitewater survey collected responses from 527 community members to determine which of the city’s many excellent businesses were most popular among the people.
The top winner in a new gift shop category this year was The Fuzzy Pig found just south of town on Clover Valley Road. The complex of renovated barns includes a Country Store and popular restaurant called Whiney’s. Overall, the Fuzzy Pig won 25% of the votes in the gift shop category.
For visitors, the experience starts outside the barn buildings as they enter a hand-crafted minature town. The Fuzzy Pig has a welcoming atmosphere upon arrival. The surroundings are scenic and open.
The Count Store portion of the complex offers a variety of things including an electric giftware selection, rugs, table linens, clocks, pictures, lamps, and more items to choose from.
“I think it’s pretty cool to be unique in Whitewater,” says co-owner Pam Kraus. “This is a one-stop destination that has a lot of stuff with gifts, candles, wines, alcohol, coffee, antiques and nostalgic items. We have pretty much anything you could want. We have a really unique variety of products.”
Whiney’s is a wine and beer haus that features wood fired pizza and music on the weekends. But the restaurant also serves full entrees, sandwiches, appetizers and desserts.
“The restaurant is a fun place to visit,” says Kraus. “We’re one mile outside of Whitewater so it’s a unique experience. There’s always something different going on here.”
This complex, hand built by co-owner Dick Kraus, took 14 years to build and Kraus took extra measures to make the complex as real and authentic as possible.
The complex offers a shop and a restaurant/bar called Whiney’s. Whiney’s sells wood fire pizza, craft beer and wine. Live music is also featured on weekends at the Fuzzy Pig, as well as outdoor seating. Krause used to work in a flower shop,but then he set out to get a place of his own.
“I’m a mile and a half on the road. I had that barn sitting there, and I opened up my own place,” Dick Kraus says. “You can probably come out to the Pig and find about everything that you want. It isn’t just a specialty gift store. Seriously, we have just about anything you can think of and then we opened up the restaurant.”
Years later, the Fuzzy Pig concept is in full effect. Krause hand built it exactly the way he wanted to, which sets it apart from the other many businesses located in Whitewater.
Step outside the rush of life and into the Fuzzy Pig for a special Whitewater experience.
