Leelanau County’s population tends to skew older, so Paul Bardenhagen — a specialist at Bonek Insurance Agency in Suttons Bay who just celebrated his 30th birthday Friday – stands out somewhat among county residents.
Bardenhagen was born and raised in Cedar, near the nowclosed Sugar Loaf ski resort. His parents, Karen and Peter Bardenhagen, owned Sugarfoot Saloon, a Mexican American restaurant that attracted much business from skiers during the resort’s lifetime.
Bardenhagen was 6 years-old when the resort closed in 2000. He recalls that his parents ran into more challenges during the offseason. Eventually he started helping his parents operate the restaurant, starting with the down-and-dirty work as a dishwasher and “working (his) way up the totem pole” and becoming a bartender. He cites his years working at the restaurant as the source of his work ethic.
