Authorities said Wednesday a compressor malfunction was likely responsible for the Dec. 30 fire that destroyed the landmark Anello’s Torch Lite Restaurant in Shawano.
Shawano Area Fire Department captain and fire investigator Jeff Zimmerman said the fire started in the basement compressor room.
Though the exact cause cannot be pinpointed, he said, the blaze was apparently the result of a malfunction.
The probe included viewing video of the fire captured by Anello’s interior surveillance cameras, Zimmerman said.
Zimmerman said insurance company investigators have concurred with the findings.
Owner Rita Mondus said Wednesday she and her husband, John, were still considering what’s next for them, but that it was still too soon to commit to anything.
One of the ideas they have been toying with is an expansion of the petting zoo and putting up a new building that might house a cafe or small restaurant, Mondus said.
However, she added, even that option isn’t certain at this point.
“I have no idea,” she said. “It’s too soon.”
The building, at 1276 E. Green Bay St., dates back to 1897, though it has seen numerous reconstructions and additions since then.
The property has always been a restaurant since 1897, when it was the Continental.
According to the Anello’s website, it also had “a house of ill repute” upstairs during the Roaring ’20s and was frequented by the likes of Al Capone and John Dillinger.
The Continental later became Club Continental, and operated under that name until 1969 when it became the Bavarian Inn. It became Anello’s Torch Lite in 1981.
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