The state of restaurant 107 State
Nathan Mergen’s restaurant finds a new way forward by staying hyperfocused on two elements of its original menu.
May 7, 2021 9:08 AM Aaron R. Conklin
Photo by Sunny Frantz
For Nathan Mergen and many other Madison restaurant owners the past year has basically been a fast-track trip through Elisabeth Kübler-Ross’s five stages of grief. Those who skipped to the final stage of acceptance may have the best chance of moving forward despite COVID-19 upending their business plans.
That’s what the Madison-born Mergen did. A New York-trained chef and restaurateur, Mergen achieved his lifelong dream of opening an upscale bar and bistro in June 2019 when he opened 107 State on State Street. Nine months later, the pandemic changed everything.