<P> The store is the oldest cheese shop located at what the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel called "Wisconsin's most visible cheese interchange"; the junction of Interstate 94 and Wisconsin Highway 142 had three cheese shops until 2009 when it was reduced to two . </P> <P> Mario Ventura, Sr., opened Mars Cheese Castle in 1947 . The shop's name was inspired by its owner's, as the name Mario comes from the Roman god Mars; the "Castle" part of the name was inspired by a castle in Italy owned by Ventura's mother . Kenosha artist George Pollard designed the store's logo; the project was Pollard's first job . The original store, which featured a large beer bottle on its roof, burned down in 1957; a new store was built nearby . </P> <P> In 2011, a project widening Interstate 94 forced the store to relocate 50 yards (46 m) away from the freeway . The new store, over twice as large as the previous building, was designed to more closely resemble an actual castle; it features a watchtower holding the store's wine and an entrance which resembles a drawbridge . A special statute passed by the Wisconsin Legislature allowed the store to keep its 80 - foot (24 m) sign at its new location despite a state law prohibiting signs that tall . </P> <P> Mars Cheese Castle has attracted a number of celebrity visitors . Rock band Weezer held a record signing at the store in 2001, and Al Hirt, Al McGuire, John F. Kennedy, and Johnny Cash have all visited the store . U.S. Vice-President Joe Biden also stopped at the store while campaigning for the 2012 presidential election . </P>

At mars cheese castle in kenosha third-generation royalty is breaking the mold