Old Germantown Cafe Meets New

 

Upon initial inspection, the prospective buyers found a scene from an apocalypse, where layers of dust and mold had taken hold. Since then, the grime of neglect has been replaced with coats of Murphy’s oil soap, latex paint, and mahogany varnish on the 30-foot bar.

 

On a recent visit to the corner of Goss Avenue and Spratt, Christian Schanie, “Manager-For-The-Most-Part,” showed me the bowels of the original 1897 building – an eerie cellar in which piles of early 20th century mechanical parts, boards and glass bottles remain untouched. Among the treasures found here after the purchase was the original deed to the place. (Expect to see it framed on a wall behind the bar.) Hunched over in the hobbit-sized burrow, Schanie points toward a dark corridor and says, “I’ve never ventured back in there. No need ... and I’m kind of scared.”

 

But up top, the place is all-new, immaculate, finally up to code, and ready for business. The original four-column bar has a great mirror spanning the wall behind it, and a Bavarian (Germanic) flag drapes before the basement entry – a nod to the neighborhood heritage. In spite of this, the refurbished original woodwork evokes Irish pub. 

 

Six 42-inch LCD screens mounted on the walls are perfect for sports viewing, including the upcoming NFL Ticket. A pool table awaits in the room between the bar proper and the patio, but there’s more to come on the second floor.

 

Schanie describes the plans for the upper area, which was formerly an apartment and never used for commerce. One of the three rooms will house an area for Wii games, as well as board games, “with couches where you can have a drink and relax.” Another room will host darts – real English darts with sharp metallic points.  

 

“We can do so many things with this space,” Schanie says. “We can have a DJ or even comedians upstairs while we position a band outside.” Eventually, the patio area will have a bar too, along with a wall mural by a California artist, who is flying in to do the job.

 

Bands?  

 

“Yeah,” says Schanie. “We want to run fresh talent through here. Any band that wants to come in here should contact us. We want to help other people out, and it helps us by doing it.”

 

Back downstairs, I catch up with Rebecca Pehlke, wife of owner Tim Pehlke. In talking about the panoply of flat screen TVs in the place, Rebecca says they considered getting the “soccer ticket.” When I cite Molly Malone’s perpetual soccer-viewing, not to mention the Monkey Wrench doing the same in the summer, she simply rebuts, “Well, we’re trying to add to the community, not compete.” 

 

Rebecca describes their sensitivity to the neighboring Check’s Cafe and its weekly regimen. “Since they have karaoke on Saturday, we’ll have it on Friday with live bands on Saturday. And we’ll have Trivia Night, too, but not on the same night as Check’s.”

 

I ask Rebecca what they found when they finally took over the building – besides the moldy dilapidation that comes with an unsealed time-capsule. “Cases and cases of beer,” she says. “It was clear the previous owner left quickly, and left lots of stuff, even valuable things. The tenant in the apartment upstairs left suddenly, too. He obviously lived ... not very well. His mattress on the floor was covered with messed-up sheets and next to it were rolling papers and roach butts.”

 

Now, all the roach butts are gone, the grime and artifacts of a business gone south washed away. The prescription of the new Germantown Cafe includes brews, whiskey, music, fun and high energy. Rebecca estimates that food will be served by July, and it will have a barbecue theme – hence the “Smoke Haus” and smoker on the patio.

 

Even vegetarians like me luxuriate in the ambience of a smoky beast. And Germantown can always use another watering hole, especially a revived one that proudly bears its name.  

 

For details on band booking, or anything at all, Tim Pehlke can be reached at (502) 797-5539.