‘Out of The Ashes:’ Old Stein Set to Reopen Next Month

It’s been more than eight months since the Old Stein has served any schnitzel and not a single beer has been poured. The wait appears to be over, however. On Sept. 14 the Old Stein will officially reopen after a fire destroyed much of the 100-year-old building that housed the restaurant .

The fire caused extensive damage to the roof and the interior was heavily damaged by smoke and water damage. The building is more than 100 years old and with such extensive damage, any reconstruction had to comply with modern day building codes.

In the end the massive undertaking cost about $700,000, said owner Mike Sellinger.

“We’ve pretty much spared no expense,” he said.

Sellinger said the plan is to hold the official grand opening on Sept. 14, but some especially loyal customers may get a sneak preview of the restaurant before the official opening next month.

Despite the hiatus, the Old Stein Inn’s Facebook page has stayed active with messages from those eagerly awaiting the return of the restaurant which has meant a lot to Sellinger he said.

“It’s been pretty radical,” he said. “It was very reassuring to know that so many folks were interested in coming back.”

With the reopening in sight and most of the major construction behind him, Sellinger said he is looking forward to getting the restaurant up and running again.

“It’s getting exciting and the stress is starting to kick back in again, in a good way,” he said.

When the restaurant closed, it not only put Sellinger out of work, but all 25 staff members employed there at the time. Thankfully, said Sellinger, many will be returning when the restaurant opens in September.

“Most of our staff is coming back and that’s very comforting to us,” he said.

Although many of the faces at the Old Stein will look familiar, regulars can expect some major changes to the restaurant, which include new staff uniforms featuring a new logo with a banner that reads "Phoenix Rising."

Other changes include the conversion of three small dining rooms into one large dining hall, antique chandeliers, re-purposed benches and the "new" recently purchased from Carmines restaurant in New York City. The wooden bar is more than 100 years old.

Although the bar will certainly look different, said Sellinger, his former guests will still find the familiar 10 draft beer taps behind the bar.

Sellinger said that after completing all the major renovations and bringing the building up to current building codes, about 70 percent of the original structure has been replaced.

While not taking the experience lightly, Sellinger seemed to be pleased with all the work that has gone into the rebuilding. “It’s a process,” he said. “For what we had to do, it went pretty smoothly.”

Even the food will be new and improved, said Sellinger who recently hired German-born chef Jason Howard to take over in the kitchen.  

“His take on German food is much more healthier and fresher, using modern techniques,” he said. “Obviously, we’ll still have sausages and schnitzels.”

Sellinger said his favorite addition is probably the new bar, but more importantly he said, the upgrade should also make it a little easier to run the restaurant.

“I’m very happy about just having a modern facility,” he said. “Obviously with a 100-year-old building you’re going to have problems and it’s just going to be awesome now.”