AN AIRSHOW EVERY DAY
When you mention the word Airport in Madison, Wisconsin,
out pops the name Pat O’Malley’s Jet Room Restaurant. The two are synonymous in
most people’s minds. Where else can you find ease in parking, great viewing
framed in huge glass windows, outstanding cuisine and a glorious selection of
Corporate Jets, General Aviation aircraft and Home Built Experimental planes.
The thrill prevails seeing people departing and arriving, even celebrities now
and then.
After 20 years of service in the Waunakee, Wisconsin
area, Pat sold the O’Malley Farm Café in 1996 to pursue other interests. A year
later, missing his former love, that of being a successful Restaurateur, Pat
and his wife Pam opened the Jet Room Restaurant in the then 1937 vintage
Terminal Building, on the east ramp of Truax Field. The restaurant continued
operating under the auspices of Wisconsin Aviation/Four Lakes until the
building’s demise in 2002,
The old stone building was replaced by the new state-of
the-art Wisconsin Aviation 2.5 million dollar General Aviation Terminal
Building. O’Malley’s Restaurant reopened then in a more illustrious motif to
better serve the General Aviation public.
Most recently announced, Pat and Pam have decided to
retire and purchase an RV (Recreational Vehicle) to travel on to new horizons.
The restaurant will remain as the Pat
O’Malley’s Jet Room, under new ownership with the O’Malley’s assisting in a
smooth transition for as long as needed. It will be lacking their personal
ambiences and colorful memories but aspire to continue serving its patronage in
the same spirit.
1937 Transitioning to 2002
Vintage Jet Room
Pam and Pat O'Malley
Pam and Pat O'Malley
New Wisconsin Aviation Terminal
All photo credits to Don "Wink" Winkler
