Scott Williams, swilliams@wolfrivermedia.com
Rita Mondus
Leader Photo by Scott Williams Construction equipment and excavated soil stand in the background at Anello’s Torch Lite, which is rebuilding after a devasating fire last December.
Leader Photo by Scott Williams Standing water is shown in the foreground at the site where excavators discovered excessive underground water that disrupted original plans for the new restaurant.
The rebirth of Shawano’s beloved Anello’s Torch Lite restaurant is getting off to a rough start.
Construction crews last weekend broke ground and started work on rebuilding the landmark supper club that was destroyed by fire nearly a year ago.
Crews quickly ran into underground water that halted work and forced architects to consider ways to redesign the new restaurant.
Owner Rita Mondus said plans now are moving forward without a basement, and she hopes to celebrate a grand opening of the new establishment by February.
“We’ll make it happen,” she said. “It’s going to happen.”
Fans of Anello’s Torch Lite were devastated last Dec. 30 when fire broke out shortly after closing time and leveled the classic supper club on Shawano’s east side.
Built in 1897, the establishment at 1276 E. Green Bay St. was a popular spot for many decades and was renowned as a favorite of gangsters Al Capone and John Dillinger during the 1920s. Mondus acquired the business in 1981 and renamed it Anello’s Torch Lite.
Months of uncertainty about the restaurant’s future ended this summer when Mondus announced plans to rebuild on a vacant lot directly adjacent to where the fire occurred.
Plans called for a similar supper club with seating for 150, along with a larger bar and a new outdoor patio. Although the name could be modified into The Torch or The Flame, Mondus aimed to recapture the nostalgia of the old place, while also providing customers new comforts and updates.
Shawano city officials approved the rebuilding plans and cheered the restaurant’s return.
“It’ll be great when it’s back,” city building inspector Brian Bunke said.
Bunke was unaware that the plans had been disturbed by underground water, although he voiced optimism that the issue could be overcome.
Led by Bohm Builders Inc., crews got started over the weekend, and excavators discovered that excessive water about 6 feet below the surface would make it impossible to build a new restaurant with a basement as planned.
Mondus said the setback meant that she either had to construct a larger building and spend weeks seeking regulatory approval for a new design, or she had to work within the current layout to find space for everything that would have been in the basement. She opted for the second option and sat down with her designers to implement what she described as “a few little nips and tucks.”
The heating and air-conditioning system will be mounted on the roof. Part of a dining room will downsized, eliminating seating for about 24 customers. And some storage of non-food inventories will be moved to accessory off-site structures.
Mondus said although she was disappointed by the required redesign, she is optimistic that the project will go forward and allow her to welcome back customers by early February.
“That’s the way it is,” she said. “You do what you’ve got to do.”