Bill Antonie (Consumer Science ’90) is the owner of The Curve in Madison, WI.
“It’s all about relationships and how you treat people”
Antonie grew up in the restaurant business and took over running The Curve from his parents after 
he graduated, then purchased the family business when his dad died in 1998. The Curve is located at the corner of Park and Erin, where the vintage “EAT” sign still hangs.
he graduated, then purchased the family business when his dad died in 1998. The Curve is located at the corner of Park and Erin, where the vintage “EAT” sign still hangs.“We have an eclectic crowd,” Antonie says. “We’ve got senators and congressmen, business people, cops and homeless – we get everybody in here. And the best part is, when you have a counter, everybody talks to everybody else. You don’t find too many places with counter space anymore.”
He’s long been a donor to SoHE’s Annual Fund, making his first gift within five years of graduating. He now belongs to the Dean’s Club in recognition of the significant yearly gift he makes to the School as well as the W Club. He and The Curve are part of the bedrock of the community – a go-to hangout for UW-Madison meetings and nourishment that’s more than just a good meal.
A focus on connection isn’t just the heart of Antonie’s business, it’s a lesson he’s carried since his time as a student at the School of Human Ecology, whether bringing together friends and family to ace a school project or playing outside linebacker for the Badgers.
“If you’re a good person, you get treated as a good person, and you can get anything done with the right people,” says Antonie.