Norm from ‘Cheers’ Preferred to Drink at a Bar in Michigan

The nation and the world were shocked this week to hear about the passing of George Wendt. An actor from the Chicago area, Wendt was the relatable barfly that we all could relate to and fell in love with in the early 1980s.

Tributes began pouring in immediately after his passing on Tuesday (5/20/2025) from fans, friends, coworkers and more. As much as we loved Norm, the character George Wendt brought to life on the TV show 'Cheers', we're hearing that he was just as kind, warm and funny as Norm himself.

George Wendt Thought of Michigan as his Summer Home

Although he was from Chicago, Wendt apparently fell in love with all that Michigan has to offer and spent a lot of time in the Great Lakes State.

A social media post shared warm memories of Wendt's Michigan visits and the many Michiganders who had amazing encounters with the actor.

Would Norm Prefer a Michigan Bar Over the Boston Bar Known as 'Cheers'?

According to several Michiganders the answer is a resounding 'Yes!'. According to the post, George Wendt liked to frequent a Michigan bar called 'The Stoney Lake Inn'. In fact, one post on the Stony Lake Community Pride Facebook page claims that the local Inn is 'Norm's real favorite bar!'.

Whether it would have been Cheers, a Michigan bar or just abut any drinking hole on Planet Earth, I am fairly confident that we all would have yelled 'NORM!!!' if George Wendt walked in the front door.

A Tribute to George Wendt, aka Norm Peterson

Thank you for the memories. Thank you for being so relatable. We will always save that corner stool for you. Godspeed and... Cheers!