The old Anello’s Torch Lite gang is hoping to be back in business by this spring.
Destroyed by fire 13 months ago, the landmark Shawano restaurant has surged forward with a rebuilding effort aimed at a grand reopening in time for the Easter holiday.
Longtime head waitress Judy Stoltenow said she is holding out hope that the historic supper club will rise from the ashes for “a resurrection on Easter.”
Stoltenow will be returning to work at the rebuilt restaurant, along with several other former employees.
“I’m so excited to get back there,” she said. “It’s going to be wonderful.”
Anello’s Torch Lite, located on Shawano’s east side at 1276 E. Green Bay St., was a popular destination for decades and was renowned as a favorite spot during the 1920s for gangsters like Al Capone and John Dillinger.
Owner Rita Mondus acquired the business in 1981 and enjoyed great success until fire broke out on Dec. 30, 2014, leaving the beloved eatery in ruins.
After months of consternation and soul-searching, Mondus and her husband, John, announced that they would rebuild. Crews broke ground in October on a site directly adjacent to where the original restaurant stood.
Overcoming a few glitches along the way, construction workers enjoyed relatively mild weather through November and December, and have made significant progress.
“We’re on a roll,” Rita Mondus said Friday.
Led by Rodac Development & Construction of Green Bay, the project team has built the restaurant’s foundation, assembled a wooden frame and is nearly ready to put on the roof. Even with a snap of bitter cold weather the past couple of weeks, workers have continued pushing forward.
Mondus said the preliminary date for completing construction is March 20, which would make it possible to schedule a grand opening one week later for the Easter holiday. About half of the restaurant’s former employees are coming back to work in the new establishment.
“I’m excited,” Mondus said. “We will have a new place, a new building, a new experience.”
The new supper club, with seating for more than 100 people, is intended to recapture the atmosphere of the former restaurant while adding new comforts and amenities. Once the roof is on and the walls go up, John Mondus said, he looks forward to watching the interior come to life.
Although waiting to see the finished product has been difficult, John Mondus said he was pleased with the effort of the construction workers.
“I’d rather have it done right,” he said. “And they’re definitely doing a good job.”
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