Norm Had His Own ‘Cheers’ Hangout in Michigan’s Oceana County
When you see or hear the name ‘George Wendt’, what’s the first thing that comes to mind?
“NO-O-ORM!”
The crowd exclamation every time his character of Norm Peterson walked into the TV bar “Cheers”.
Well, more than likely he got that same reaction whenever he visited his favorite Michigan bar, the Stony Lake Inn in Oceana County.
Although originally from Chicago, George ended up falling in love with Stony Lake. Why?
His wife, Bernadette Birkett, had made regular summer visits to the family cottage at Stony Lake since the 1960s. She did not want to totally abandon her visits to Stony Lake just because she was married to a high-profile celebrity who spent lots of time on the west and east coasts, shooting “Cheers” and many installments of “Saturday Night Live”. So, she and George got their very own cottage at Stony Lake.
Wendt occasionally paid visits to the Stony Lake Bar (now called the Stony Lake ‘Inn’) and would quaff a few beers like Norm, his “Cheers” alter-ego. If you ever pay a visit, you will see a picture of Wendt hanging on the wall.
George passed away in May 2025, much to the dismay of the Inn’s employees, owners, and regulars. Ties DO bind, however, and George’s brother-in-law, Ray BIrkett, remains at Stony Lake, operating the Stony Lake Cutlery.