Al Johnson’s Named Best Small Business in America

The famous goats on the grass roof atop Al Johnson’s roof.

Al Johnson’s Swedish Restaurant & Butik was named the Best Small Business in America by Rubicon Global on Small Business Saturday. The honor is based on public voting.

Rubicon Global is a leader in providing waste, recycling, and smart city solutions to businesses and governments worldwide.

Al Johnson’s has been serving authentic Swedish and mainstream America ‘comfort food’ since 1949. 

The second annual ‘Best Small Business in America’ contest drew hundreds of entries across the U.S.  Leaders from Rubicon judged the entries along with executives from Toast, the fastest-growing restaurant management platform in the U.S.; and MINDBODY, the leading technology platform for the fitness, wellness and beauty services industries, to whittle the initial entries down to the final 15, which were then open to public voting to decide the winner.  

“Al Johnson’s is a prime example of a small business taking advantage of its history and integrating a sustainable solution that yields financial and environmental benefits, along with demonstrating sustainability in action for its patrons,” said David Rachelson, Vice President of Sustainability for Rubicon Global.

“It is an incredible honor to be named the Best Small Business in America by Rubicon Global,” said Lars Johnson, Co-Owner of Al Johnson’s Swedish Restaurant & Butik. “We were truly gratified to be a finalist among such an incredible group of other small businesses across the United States, businesses where green business practices, community-mindedness, and responsiveness as an employer are guiding principles in operations,” 

2019 will be the 70th anniversary for Al Johnson’s, but the restaurant prides itself that the way it operates now hasn’t changed much since its inception.  The founder, Al Johnson, was a Swedish immigrant and a World War II veteran who served with the U.S. Army’s 101st Airborne. Mr. Johnson started the restaurant by hiring good people, treating them well and being mindful of giving back to the community in numerous ways.

“We still operate by the principles my father laid out so many years ago,” Johnson said. “As such, we will be donating the $10,000 prize we are being awarded as the Best Small Business in America by Rubicon Global and giving that to the Wisconsin Humane Society, thereby helping us extend and enrich our existing program of supporting good local works in the arts, social services, sustainability, and community programs.”