The Maple Tree Inn in Homewood, Illinois, has stood for half a century as a testament to one family’s relentless dedication to food, community, and each other. But behind every plate of hickory buttered barbecue shrimp and bowl of chicken jambalaya was a woman who gave everything she had to keep that dream alive.
Katie Wennberg, co-owner of the beloved Cajun and Creole restaurant, has passed away suddenly, leaving behind a grieving husband, a devoted staff, and an entire community of loyal guests who knew her warmth the moment they walked through the door.
Katie’s connection to Maple Tree Inn didn’t begin when she signed ownership papers. It began at birth.
Her father, Charlie Orr, founded the restaurant in 1975 in Beverly, and two years later, Katie came home from the hospital to a small apartment directly above it. The restaurant wasn’t just her family’s business. It was where she grew up.
At 10 years old, she was scrubbing kitchens and busing tables. At 11, she earned her first paycheck of $2.13 an hour. While other kids had their weekends free, Katie was learning how a restaurant runs. By the time she was 16, she was running it as general manager, confidently managing employees twice her age without hesitation.
Her father shifted the restaurant’s concept in 1980 from American food to Cajun and Creole cooking after watching a New Orleans chef on television on New Year’s Eve.
That pivot gave Maple Tree Inn the soul it still carries today. Charlie later moved the restaurant to Blue Island in 1994, where it would grow its reputation for years to come.
When Everything Was Lost and Built Back Again
Katie stepped away briefly for graduate studies but returned in 2007 when her father’s health declined. She juggled internships, midnight shifts, and caregiving until Charlie passed in 2010. By then, she and her husband, Erich, had already committed to buying the restaurant together, inheriting a business in disrepair with the odds firmly against them.
Within six months, they had doubled revenue, and within three years, they had surpassed every benchmark her father had set.
Then came August 2018. Weeks after OpenTable recognized Maple Tree Inn as one of the 50 best Southern restaurants in America, a fire destroyed their Blue Island location overnight.
They lived above the restaurant and barely escaped with their lives. More than 80 firefighters responded. They lost their home and their business in a single night.
Within 90 days, they reopened at a temporary location. A call from Homewood’s mayor led them to their current home, where they relaunched in February 2020, only to face a forced COVID closure five weeks later.
Through every setback, Katie pointed to the same source of strength. She said it was love that carried them through losing everything, rebuilding from nothing, and showing up every single day for their guests and their team.
Erich announced her passing with a message that was heartbroken and resolute at the same time. He promised the restaurant would remain open, the staff would stay, and everything Katie built would continue in her honor.
He asked guests to come in, enjoy a meal, and raise a glass to her. For a woman who spent her entire life taking care of others, that feels like exactly the right tribute.
