By Brian Shlonsky

LOUISVILLE, KY (WAVE) – It was a Schnitzelburg staple for more than a century, but for the past three years the space has sat vacant.

Now, the building that was once Hauck’s Handy Shop, has been reimagined and is set to reopen as a bar and restaurant this month.

The new space will be called Hauck’s Corner, and has kept many of the old items from the general store intact, from the old signs behind the bar, to the iconic green tiles on the walls, to the wood floors and signs– along with the many nods to George Hauck himself, who was a Schnitzelburg legend.

Co-owners Fred and Angelica Pizzonia and Jeff Walschon said that it was important to get the restoration correct to honor the neighborhood. The old store first opened on Goss Avenue in 1912, and George Hauck was a fixture there until he died in 2019 at 100 years old.

“Everybody seems to have a story about George or how they used to work here,” Walschon said. “We took a lot of time and care to make sure that it was done with respect to the space and to the Hauck family.”

Part of the history relates to the Dainty Contest, that’s held each year right outside the building. Thousands of people come to the contest each July, after it was brought to the neighborhood by Hauck himself.

Once Hauck’s Corner officially opens, there will be a memorabilia room, where Dainty Contests from years past will play on the TV’s. The hope is to open– in some capacity– before this year’s contest at the end of July.

“Whenever we were working here and we have these doors open, people are so intrigued, and they come, and it seems like everybody has a story about this space,” Walschon said.

To build the space, Walschon said they had to gut the building and do structure and foundation work, while preserving as much history as possible.

“Coming into the project we knew how much this space meant to this community,” Walschon said. “We filled up two houses and two garages with all the material taken from here. We weren’t really sure what was salvageable and what wasn’t.”

There will also be an outdoor patio attached to the back of the building, and the iconic bologna sandwiches from the store will be on the menu at the restaurant.

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