Gauthier serves up smiles

The regulars at Cedar Tavern all know Rob Gauthier.

Gauthier is a bartender who prides himself on his ability to cheer someone up when they’re having a bad day, whether that’s through a well-timed joke or just a smile.

Gauthier was born and raised in Leelanau County. He graduated from Glen Lake Community Schools in 1998 before earning a degree in the culinary arts from the private university Baker College. He said he briefly cooked at the Sugar Loaf Ski Resort before becoming a local bartender. But he has not always lived here.