> The concept of having live goats on a roof dates back 40 years to the legendary Al Johnson’s Swedish Restaurant in Door County, Wisconsin. The Johnson family began letting goats graze on the sodded roof of their Sister Bay, WI eatery to attract crowds, and boy has it worked well for them. Four decades later, the restaurant is still going strong, and the goats (and the Swedish pancakes) are as popular as ever.
> In 1973, when the restaurant building was renovated, grass was planted on the roof to follow a Scandinavian custom that started with rural houses built into hills. That same year, Al Johnson’s friend Winkie Larson bought him a goat named Oscar, and later decided to play a joke on Al. He was in the process of climbing a ladder to Al’s roof, with Oscar tucked under his arm, when the goat started kicking so hard that Winkie fell and broke his collarbone. On his second attempt, however, Winkie was successful, and ended up starting a tradition that will no doubt last for many more decades to come.
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https://boingboing.net/2022/09/29/this-restaurant-involves-real-live-goats-that-spend-time-grazing-on-the-rooftop.html
> Author: Sandlin (2022)
> The concept of having live goats on a roof dates back 40 years to the legendary Al Johnson’s Swedish Restaurant in Door County, Wisconsin. The Johnson family began letting goats graze on the sodded roof of their Sister Bay, WI eatery to attract crowds, and boy has it worked well for them. Four decades later, the restaurant is still going strong, and the goats (and the Swedish pancakes) are as popular as ever.
> In 1973, when the restaurant building was renovated, grass was planted on the roof to follow a Scandinavian custom that started with rural houses built into hills. That same year, Al Johnson’s friend Winkie Larson bought him a goat named Oscar, and later decided to play a joke on Al. He was in the process of climbing a ladder to Al’s roof, with Oscar tucked under his arm, when the goat started kicking so hard that Winkie fell and broke his collarbone. On his second attempt, however, Winkie was successful, and ended up starting a tradition that will no doubt last for many more decades to come.