One year after opening Canter Inn in a historic New Glarus Victorian, owners Jon Nodler and Sam Kincaid have discovered that running a restaurant in a small town rarely follows a predictable script.

On Oct. 16, the husband-and-wife team marked the first anniversary of their restaurant at 119 Fifth Ave., a 1902 Queen Anne-style house with a long history as a dining destination. Their first year has brought enthusiastic guests, attention from prominent publications and plenty of lessons about their new market.

“One lesson we’ve learned is that anything can happen each week; consistency isn’t the name of the game!” the owners said in written responses to questions from New Glarus 360. “A winter storm watch can grind everything to a halt, while a weekend evening might see a flood of walk-in guests.”

The restaurant opened with an ambitious idea: bring the kind of thoughtful, seasonal dining that Nodler and Kincaid knew from larger markets to the rural Green County community where they live. The response, they said, has come from both nearby residents and diners traveling from Madison, the Chicago area and beyond.