For those who are fans of barbecue, that might be a mistake.

About 2 1/2 years, Thermal Chaos brought its award-winning barbecue to W11515 U.S. 8, serving locals along with the visiting ORV riders and snowmobilers using the nearby trails.

Owner Ken Hein and wife Culleen were both looking for a change. Ken Hein worked at Titletown Brewing Co. in Green Bay from 1997 until 2007, then went to the Radisson Hotel and Casino, also in Green Bay, where he was a sous chef for more than a decade. Culleen Hein’s career was in health care.

Both were burned out from their long hours required by their professions. Culleen Hein wanted to help her husband out with his dream of owning a place of their own.

KEN HEIN, co-owner of Thermal Chaos in Dunbar, Wis., checks on meats in the smoker. (Jim Paul/Daily News photo)

That opportunity presented itself in an area they loved: the North Country Inn in Dunbar came up for sale when longtime owners Dave and Diane Schultz decided to retire.

Ken Hein had actually never owned a bar and restaurant before, but as a chef had an idea of what was involved. They also had a food truck at that point selling their barbecue.

“I figured that if I am going to work 70 hours a week I would rather work for myself and be my own boss,” Ken Hein said. “That way I would not have anybody riding me and telling me I can never have a day off. So we decided to work for ourselves.”

Ken Hein knew the Dunbar area from growing up, after his parents bought land when he was born and built a cottage.

Once Ken Hein began riding the trails and they learned the bar had a gas pump, they frequently stopped in the summer when up north.

THERMAL CHAOS is at W11515 U.S. 8 in Dunbar, Wis., in northwestern Marinette County. (Jim Paul/Daily News photo)

“This is what we call the edge of wilderness — you got the bears and the turkeys and all this stuff,” Ken Hein said. “So we didn’t want to move to a city, even though there are plenty of job offers in the big cities like Milwaukee. I was getting job offers and I said, you know, that is not what we wanted to do.”

The name Thermal Chaos predates the restaurant, from when the Heins began competing in barbecue competitions. Teams need to form an LLC to enter such contests, so they chose Thermal Chaos — temperature out of control — as the playful opposite of the actual method of cooking barbecue, which is low and slow.

Instead of completely ripping the Dunbar building apart, the Heins have been doing the work a little at a time during the slower seasons. So far they have replaced the floor, installed new televisions and built a pavilion for outside dining and events. Renovating the bathrooms are next on the list.

Given their history — they started doing barbecue roughly four years before opening in Dunbar, including adding the well-traveled food truck — it’s no surprise that barbecued items have been the main focus at Thermal Chaos.

“Our barbecues are our specialty. People love our pulled pork, our brisket, ribs and our pork belly are all favorites,” Ken Hein said. “Depends who you talk to as far as our barbecue enthusiasts — they’ll fight and argue over which one they like the best.”

Hein said he doesn’t think one is better than the other, as they are created using different barbecue processes.

“Our ribs and pork butt, which is our pulled pork, are done with a Memphis/Kansas City style and our brisket we do in a Southern Texas style,” Ken Hein said. The first uses a tangy sauce, while the second is marinated in thick, molasses-like sauces, according to online sources.

Thermal Chaos also does the mandatory Friday fish fry starting at 10 a.m. Instead of many different types of fish, Thermal Chaos pretty much sticks with varieties caught locally, such as perch, walleye and bluegill, along with the standard cod.

Wednesday nights at Thermal Chaos features the popular Chandelier Dinner. These special meals began when two friends of the Heins came in during a snowstorm, wanting to eat. Ken Hein was able to make something from what they had on hand. A snowstorm happened the next week as well and it soon became a weekly visit.

Others started asking if they could get a special meal as well. Someone brought a little chandelier to hang from the ceiling during the meal and a tradition was born.

Last week’s Chandelier Dinner had almost 20 participants. The best part of the meal, he said, is there are no set prices — customers pay what the meal was worth to them, but usually they have a good idea of what they’re eating costs and are fair.

In addition to the food, Thermal Chaos also likes to host live entertainment about once a month. Artists like Cash O’Reilly, Bad Mother Truckers, Classic Friends and Ike Arumba and the Infidels have all played shows at the business.

In addition, Thermal Chaos holds big buck contests and opening day fishing contests. They also still have fuel available.

Ken Hein said he considers himself blessed to have customers from all over stop in but also appreciates his local regulars from Beecher, Amberg, Pembine, Goodman, Niagara, Florence and the Iron Mountain area. He considers many of them friends.

“So (even though) it is a little further distance for the people that come to visit us, the response has been overwhelming,” Ken Hein said.

The Heins give back to the community as well. Both Ken and Culleen are involved with the Dun-Good Riders, Ken as one of the directors and Culleen as the secretary.

On Oct. 21, Thermal Chaos will host an event for the Make-a-Wish Foundation. Five families will enjoy a guided trail ride. There will also be a poker run, the restaurant will set up a nacho bar and Cash O’Reilly will perform. More than 100 people are expected to attend.

Thermal Chaos is closed Mondays and Tuesdays and after the gun deer season will be closed on Sundays as well. Thermal Chaos currently is open from 10 a.m. to midnight on Wednesdays and Thursdays, 10 a.m. to 2 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays. The kitchen operates from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays, until 9 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and until 5 p.m. on Sundays.