City Spirits: The Lorelei Inn

GREEN BAY – The property located at 1412 S. Webster Ave., Allouez has a 100-year history that begins with a grocery store.

Local newspaper ads show a grocery store operating on that property as early as 1920 and as late as 1928.

Known as Lawler’s Grocery for much of that time, it was later taken over by Charles Denis, who also sold gasoline on the site.

When Prohibition began in the 1920s, with the ratification of the 18th Amendment, the act transformed local communities in ways that lawmakers never anticipated.

What was intended to reduce crime and improve moral behavior created an underground local economy.

“Speakeasies” replaced legitimate saloons, often operating with implied approval or active participation of local police and politicians.

The next years saw the property’s transformation into what was likely a front for that type of business, first as the Rainbow Inn, then Wally Nier’s Place.

In 1932, the space became known as a “soft drink parlor” owned first by Steve Lemerond and later by Mary Banazynski.

In 1933, J.C. Schneider opened it as the “Allouez Tavern.”

Liquor licenses show John H. Buchholz taking the tavern over in 1934 and Mary Becker in 1935.

After purchasing it in 1936, Robert Hendricks ran it as “Bob’s Allouez Tavern” for 13 years.

The bar was then purchased by Michael R. Dwyer, who ran it as “Mike’s Allouez Bar” until 1952.

In November 1952, Tom & Marge Eschelweck opened it as the “Lorelei Bar” – a nod to Tom’s German heritage and its folklore.

“The Lorelei Rock is located on the bank of the Rhine River near Sankt Goarshausen, Germany. It produces an echo and is associated with the legend of a beautiful maiden who threw herself into the Rhine in despair over a faithless lover and was transformed into a siren who lured fishermen to destruction,” the Lorelei Inn website explains.

“Sally Kubiak, Tom’s daughter, informed me the bar was originally on the left side of the room as you enter. A few years later he moved the bar to the right side where it is now. The bar still has the same old coolers and bar rail. Only the bar top was updated along with the inner workings of the coolers,” explained owner Dave Hack.

“Tom was proud of his German heritage and featured German cuisine and beers. Tom continued coming in as a customer all the way up to the time of his passing. I always enjoyed waiting on Tom and his gal, Hazel.

“In 1970, Tom’s son Dave took over and ran the restaurant until 1980 when he sold it to the Kubiak family… Jim, Sally and their son Mark ran it until Aug. 16, 1983. Both families continued what their father started and changed little to the best of my knowledge.

“My parents, Len and Marilyn Hack, took over on Aug. 17, 1983. My father was from Chicago and was a die-hard Bears fan. Some of his Bears collectibles are still in the bar. I was 13 years old when my parents bought Lorelei. I started helping out cleaning on Saturdays, then dishwashing a couple years later, onto bussing tables and finally bartending when I was 20.

“Thirty-one years later, I’m still mixing drinks and pouring beer. My sister Lynne Stahl and I took over in 2000, and a few years later her daughter, my niece, Meagan Colombo, came on board as a third-generation co-owner.”

Today, The Lorelei Inn is noted as an “American Supper Club” restaurant/pub that features a few German entrees, beer and wine, as the next generations carry on that long tradition.

“Some of our regular customers have been coming here for 50-60 years. The Lorelei is truly a ‘neighborhood place’ and as our mother used to say, ‘A place where old and new friends meet,’” added Hack.