OSHKOSH (NBC 26) — Two buildings on the south side of Oshkosh, both with over 100 years of history, are being brought back to life by a local business owner whose goal is to help preserve community history.
- Chris Hansen took over Hrnaks Flower and Gifts last fall and now hopes to give the 101-year-old shop a facelift.
- Within eight months of taking over Hrnaks, Hansen opened 1890 Pub & Bistro on Sixth Avenue.
- The restaurant is inside a building that was built in 1890.
Chris Hansen is a landlord turned flower shop owner.
“Never thought I'd be a florist, but I never thought I’d be a lot of things, and here we are," Hansen says.
Hansen has owned the Hrnaks building for three years, but he took over the business last October.
“Initially, I just bought the building as an investment, and the old owner rented it back from me, and then she wanted to get out from underneath it," he says.
Hrnaks is a 101-year-old business in Oshkosh. It has since changed locations and had five different owners.
“It’s been around for so long, and I didn’t want to be the guy who killed Hrnaks," Hansen says.
Now, he and manager Brittiny Borst hope to give it new life.
“We’re really excited to give a little refresh or facelift to the inside," Borst says.
Nearby on Sixth Avenue is Hansen's new restaurant: 1890 Pub & Bistro.
“The building was built in 1890, so that’s where the name comes from," Hansen says. "I believe when it first started it was a general store, and then it’s been a number of restaurants over time.”
1890 opened in mid-June and offers a twist on a classic supper club menu.
"I was trying to give a different flair to Oshkosh... something that you can't find here in Oshkosh," Tony Scheidecker, head chef at 1890, says. "Trying to get everybody together around here and just trying something new."
Take a look at some of 1890s popular dishes:
Hansen says he tried to modernize the building while honoring its history.
"It’s kind of crazy how many people are attached to that building and know it," he says. "When they walk in, they’re like 'wow, this place has changed,' but they have memories about it, and that’s pretty cool to preserve that.”
Both businesses, Hansen says, are opportunities to create something meaningful and long-lasting.
“It's more about building a legacy, you know?" he says. "We got these buildings, these businesses here, we want to see them preserved, and we want to see them succeed, and that’s what we’re here for.”
