ABOVE: Ryan Hauschild, new owner of Shenanigans, stands outside of the bar, located just off of Downtown Plaza in Fairmont. It will be reopening later this spring.

FAIRMONT– A Fairmont favorite is getting a second chance with a makeover and rebrand. Ryan Hauschild, new owner of Shenanigans, located at 115 E. 3rd St. in Fairmont, is planning on reopening the bar and grill late this spring.

Hauschild grew up on a farm in Hendricks, Minn., but has spent his adult life in the Twin Cities area.

“I moved there when I was about 20 and worked in a lot of restaurants where I hosted, served and bartended–I did it all throughout college,” Hauschild said.

He received a double major from the University of Minnesota in political science and sociology and had intended to go to law school. However, he ended up going into the non-profit sector, where he spent a decade working in different areas including as a mentor and job coach.

Eventually Hauschild returned to the bartending world and fell in love with the craftsmanship component and engagement that comes with the job. He had a goal of opening his own bar one day but as the Covid-19 pandemic hit, many bars and restaurants in the Twin Cities area were struggling as many of them rent the space they’re in. So Hauschild began perusing options elsewhere.

“I started looking within a two hour perimeter of the cities, building and land included at a certain price point and this kept coming up,” Hauschild said of Shenanigans.

The bar, which has been established for over 30 years, closed in the fall of 2023 and was put up for sale.

Hauschild saw potential in the bar, and the three bedroom apartment above it. He also enjoyed the town that it’s in.

“Over the years I’ve become very nostalgic for my farm and my small town. I definitely enjoyed living in the cities, but there’s a fondness and nostalgia for my hometown and the community,” Hauschild said.

He has found some of that comfort in Fairmont.

On Oct. 11, 2023 Hauschild closed on the building and got to work. In six months he’s made many improvements to the place and while he knew a lot of work was required, some unexpected repairs have come up, too. However, he has received support from FEDA ( Fairmont Economic Development Authority), which approved a loan through its micro loan program and from its facade program.

“Overall the city’s been a really good partner and very supportive,” Hauschild said.

Ned Koppen, Fairmont’s Economic Development Coordinator, said he has tried to help Hauschild form connections and has been excited to see the progress made.

“The city is lucky to have someone come to town and buy a building the needs a lot of work. Even though he’s had to tackle a lot, he’s going to see it through to the end and open up something that will be a great addition to the business community,” Koppen said.

As for what he’s done so far, Hauschild said, “Everything has been completely renovated.”

He tore up the carpet and has installed new flooring. The entire building had to be re-plumbed, which Hauschild admitted put him back about two months. The electrical system has also been updated to support a modern bar.

“A lot of work was done in the kitchen. It’s been fully updated from floor to ceiling,” Hauschild said.

To start out, the back room, where a pool table used to be, will not be open to the public. However, Hauschild sees a lot of potential in the space and would like to transform it into a private event space in the future.

In the main area he is getting all new booths and will look at getting new tables and stools in the future. The game room has also been updated and one of the changes Hauschild is most proud of is the addition of windows.

“There weren’t windows before. The walls were studded and finished and there were boards on the outside but Fairmont Glass did a great job and the windows add a lot of natural light and it feels more vibrant,” Hauschild said.

He gave a shout out to some of the other local businesses that contributed to the makeover which include Day Plumbing, DeWar Electric and Cress Refrigeration, which installed a new beer system.

As far as food and drinks go, Hauschild said he understands that Shenanigans was well-known for its pizza so to start out, that will be offered in the first month. Beyond that, Hauschild is planning to offer more bar food starting in the second month of opening.

“I have a great local chef in the wings and once things get up and running… we’re going to launch a full chef-driven restaurant concept. We’ll still have bar vibes but I’m excited about the food,” Hauschild said.

He said the food and the decor overall will pay homage to his childhood farm so he plans to offer a menu filled with Minnesota comfort food.

Hauschild would like the drinks to be approachable as they previously were at the bar so it will offer affordable rail drinks and a variety of beer thanks to a new eight tap beer system, but he also plans to offer craft cocktails and a wine selection.

“Personally as a professional bartender these are things that I take pride in and it’s really important to me that I’m proud of the drinks and cocktails I’m serving,” Hauschild said.

Some of the cocktails patrons can expect to see on the menu in the future include old fashions and espresso martinis.

Hauschild stressed that the space will very much still be an approachable bar despite the new additions. Patrons can find comfort in the fact that he has decided to open under the same name, Shenanigans.

Currently Hauschild is looking for some staff members who he can train for a variety of positions.

More than anything, he is getting ready to open the space he’s worked so hard on and to welcome the community to re-familiarize itself with the place.

“I could not be happier to be in the market that I’m in. I’ve put in a lot of work to make this something that I’m proud of and I want this to be something that the community is proud of,” Hauschild said.