MENASHA (NBC 26) — Nearly two months after a tornado tore through Menasha, the neighborhood looks different - quieter, emptier - as longtime business owners face difficult decisions about whether to rebuild or walk away.
Tony’s Bar, built in 1921, has been owned and operated by the same family for four generations.
“Tony was my great-grandpa. Then my grandpa had it, then my dad, then me,” owner Tony Siegel said.
Now, Siegel is weighing whether to gut the building or tear it down entirely after extensive water damage.
Nearly two months after the storm, the uncertainty is taking a toll.
“Every time it rains it’s just depressing,” Siegel said. “You want a magic wand to get rid of all this stuff, back to normal. But it takes time.”
When asked whether he knows what comes next for the family business, Siegel was candid.
“Not right now, but it doesn’t look good,” he said.
“It’s a lot of work, stress and everything else,” Siegel added. “It’s a staple. I miss everybody already.”
Across the neighborhood, Chef’s Fresh Pizza owner Scott Doran is facing many of the same questions.
“The last two months, since July 27, the storm came through and heavily damaged our business, turned our world upside down,” Doran said.
While Doran hopes to reopen Chef’s Fresh Pizza, he said the future of the building remains uncertain.
“Our plans are up in the air. Our goal is to get Chef’s Fresh up and running,” Doran said. “But we just don’t know if it’s a rebuild or if it’s a repair.”
Two months later, Doran said he still does not know whether the building will ultimately be torn down.
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“The challenging part is the unknown,” Doran said. “It feels like the days that we make strides and move forward, the next day we get pushed back a couple days.”
Financial concerns are also mounting for business owners trying to plan their next steps.
“What money do you want to spend on it when you have no money?” Doran said. “The money is tight.”
Despite the uncertainty, Doran said support from the community has helped business owners keep going.
“The community, they help. I mean, I’ve never seen so much friendship and caring,” Doran said. “When you say ‘Menasha Strong,’ there’s not a better word for it.”
Across the street, Plank Road Pub and Coonen’s Complete Service are already gone. Owner Kim Halbach said she is waiting to see what the city plans for redevelopment before deciding whether to rebuild or sell.
Some neighborhood staples are gone for good. Manderfield’s Bakery has already been demolished, and the owners of Quick Clean Laundry told NBC26 they do not plan to rebuild.
“You lost your bar, you lost your mechanic, you lost your pizza place, you lost your laundromat,” Siegel said.
For Siegel, the loss is about more than damaged buildings.
“It’s our little neighborhood, it’s all gone,” he said.
Still, he hopes the legacy of Tony’s Bar survives in some form.
“Tony’s isn’t going to go anywhere, even if it isn’t here,” Siegel said.
“A lot of good people that I love, that I’ll miss.”
