Farewell, Blackwater Inn

    “I’m going to miss all my customers.”
    Bill Nordle has announced that he and wife Tina will shutter their Blackwater Inn/William’s Landing restaurant in early August, closing the book on Astor’s most prominent dining establishment. Nordle, who has been at the Blackwater Inn since 1985 and served as its owner since 1994, has announced that the business and property has been sold.
    Blackwater Inn and William’s Landing are expected to cease operations around August 9, with new owner Ronald Jaffe expected to close the location for several weeks while renovations are undertaken. The Jaffe family currently operates McHenry’s Sports pub in Keystone Heights, and did not respond to a request for comment in time for publication this week.
    As for Nordle, he admits there are some mixed emotions with selling a business that has been such a big part of this life, but feels the time is right.
    “I didn’t want my health to tell me to sell it, I wanted to do it on my terms.”
    As it stands, there will be time for more experiences, starting with a day off, something that has been hard to secure recently.
    “Even though we are only open Wednesday through Saturday right now, I’m still here every day,” Nordle said of the many ‘behind the scenes’ jobs that are required to keep the restaurant running. “It’s gotten to where I couldn’t take a day off, or much less a weekend.”
    This week, Nordle paused to reflect on his 37 years in the restaurant business.
    “I’ve had a lot of Lake County work for me. And I’ve fed a lot of Lake County.”
    Nordle came to the Blackwater Inn as the manager for an offsite owner, and bought the business on November 17, 1994.
    “Once I bought it, I really went to work.”
    William’s Landing, the casual dining room upstairs from the Blackwater Inn’s more formal setting, debuted in 1996, and more recently the Nordle’s acquired the river tour business that was located next to the restaurant. For now, they still own that business.
    The couple expects to remain in Astor as residents, but don’t expect to find them pining away for more days in the business.
    “Every memory is special,” Nordle says, “I can start from the beginning and there are so many. But it’s time. I’m ready.”