Manitowoc restaurant mourns loss of beloved chef after bicycle crash
MANITOWOC, Wis. (WFRV) — Brick’s Downtown Bar and Grill will never be the same; the kitchen will never be as full. A bicycle crash over the weekend took the life of one of their stars in the kitchen, 40-year-old head chef Champ Kapinos-Dock.
“He just went above and beyond not just for our patrons, but for our staff as well. Everyone who left was passed along with a ‘safe travels’ from Champ. And now, looking back, I don’t think anyone will take those words lightly,” restaurant owner Jacque Bartow said. “The outpouring of support on social media, along with the calls and texts we receive, shows just how much of a light he was for everyone.”
The restaurant opened in 2020, and just months later, Kapinos-Dock joined the team and ultimately became a central figure in the Brick’s family.
“He felt he had a home here and really believed in what we were trying to do. I think he just bought into this idea that this could be his home, and it was his home away from home,” Bartow said. “I’m very thankful that I had the opportunity to have him touch my life and for me to have been a part of his. We both needed each other, and I was able to give him some of the guidance he was looking for, and he was able to give me some of the expertise he learned along the way in the industry.”
Bartow’s daughter, Morgan Bartow, a bartender at the establishment, agreed that the family atmosphere was bolstered by Kapinos-Dock.
“It feels like everybody’s family here. Every shift I knew Champ was on, I knew it was going to be a good one. I don’t think he ever had a bad day,” she said. “There were many times after our shift we would hang out together as a staff, and I don’t think many places have that. He was kind of the glue that held us all together.”
It is doubtful that another member of Brick’s will ever be able to fill the void Kapinos-Dock left. The position may get filled, but his spirit is unmatched.
“Big shoes to fill, and I don’t know that anyone ever will because he was just an uncommon person,” Morgan said. “He was such a light, and he would walk out of that kitchen, and I think it would get brighter in here.”
After working at a number of establishments over the years, Bartow says that Brick’s had the warmth that Kapinos-Dock could not find elsewhere in the culinary industry.
“We both needed each other, and I was able to give him some of the guidance he was looking for, and he was able to give me some of the expertise he learned along the way in the industry,” she said. “I told him I didn’t care how the industry was running in other places; I wanted it to be different. Family comes first, and we’re going to take care of our employees.”
Whether it was young coworkers starting their first job or visitors dining at the restaurant for the first time, Kapinos-Dock cared for all he met.
“He was so caring and understanding of kids having schoolwork to do, and kids being hungry when they came to the kitchen,” Bartow said. “He would just pop through really quick; I think it was his way of seeing who was all out there. He was just so kind in stopping to see not just our regulars but visitors alike. He was meticulous about looks and how food was presented.”
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A GoFundMe has been created to help with funeral expenses and to benefit Kapinos-Dock’s two young children. His son worked with him in the kitchen at Brick’s. The restaurant is planning to create memorabilia, with proceeds going to his children.
“I want people to remember his kind, peaceful spirit and his creative mind,” Bartow said. “There needs to be more Champs in the world.”
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