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August 25, 2025
OSHKOSH – Self-proclaimed “local investor” Chris Hansen said after watching several restaurants rotate in and out of his building – located at 958 W. 6th Ave. in Oshkosh – he decided to open one himself.
“I bought the building eight [or] nine years ago for an investment, because there was already an operating restaurant in there, and it’s been two restaurants since,” he said.
After the prior tenants decided not to re-sign their lease at the end of 2024, Hansen said he was left with a lot of options as far as what to do with the space.
“I walked in there and [I thought], ‘This place needs a little bit of work, [and] I don’t know what I want to do,’” he said “[Then I thought]…, ‘If I want to put the work in and do it, [I] should just do my own thing.”
Constructed in 1890 – “per the city assessor” – Hansen said he believes the building originally served as a general store.
“So there’s a lot of history behind that,” he said. “Then it got converted into a restaurant at some point, and there’s probably been 10- or 12-[decades-old] restaurants in here since that time.”
Because of its legacy and “castle-like” appearance, Hansen said the building is a well-known landmark around the area.
“There’s a lot of history, and a lot of people around the neighborhood know the place and have connections to it,” he said.
So, to both pay homage to the building’s history and call out its new “supper club/bar vibe,” Hansen said he named his restaurant The 1890 Pub & Bistro and officially opened its doors to the community in June.
Historic building, modern space
Throughout its 135-year history, Hansen said the building has undergone countless renovations – including after he assumed operations of the restaurant this year.
“The outside of the bar was refinished with red [paint] so it matched the ceiling; everything behind the bar was torn out, redone [and is] brand new; [and] everything was painted,” he said. “The entrance vestibule [and] all the walls were taken down [and] repainted again; new, mostly wood flooring [was installed] throughout, but then there’s also some tile flooring that was done behind the bar, in the entrance and then in the two bathrooms.”
Renovating the bathrooms, Hansen said, has been a popular decision of his among his customers – especially the ladies, who were “so jazzed” about it, that they have shown “their husbands and boyfriends” the new space.
“When I first decided what I was going to do, I looked at the old bathroom that was in there and I’m like, ‘I have to do something with this bathroom,’ because it was horrible – it was a closet,” he said. “I added a two-stall bathroom and made that really nice.”
Though he “lost four table tops or so” to the bathroom renovation, Hansen said “it was worth it.”
“Everybody that comes in and knows the place, [says], ‘Oh, my gosh, thank you for what you did – this bathroom is great,’” he said.
Though more than a century old, Hansen said the building itself is in great condition for its age – leaving most of his renovation work geared toward simply “modernizing” the space.
“This building has got an old, stone foundation, [and though] there are some areas where the floor has naturally settled, everything is actually really well built,” he said. “The thing is like a bomb shelter – it ain’t coming down unless you want it to come down.”
Inclusive, community space
Hansen, who described the “supper club scene” as being “singular” to the state, said visitors often ask what makes the Wisconsin staple different from other restaurants.
However, he said it wasn’t lost on him to try and bring something new to the City of Oshkosh.
“[The building has] been a supper club, it’s been a pub, it’s been a sandwich place, and my idea, right off the bat, was [to] do a supper club, bar [and] bistro all smashed into one,” he said.
The welcoming nature of supper clubs combined with the modern taste of bistro cuisine, Hansen said, has made for the perfect combination for his restaurant.
“I have my own ideas…, but I also brought [in] a local chef who’s been in the area for 15-20 years, and he was able to bring some of his supper club and restaurant experience,” he said. “We put a little bit of flair [on the food], because [my] whole idea from the onset… [was] that I want to be different, but not too different.”
The 1890 Pub & Bistro menu, according to its website 1890pubandbistro.com, includes staples like The Monte Cristo sandwich and newcomers like The Irishman burger among other wraps, entrees and appetizers – including, of course, battered cheese curds.
A lifelong Oshkosh resident, Hansen said when he decided to assume operation of his building’s restaurant, he knew he wanted to make it a community-oriented space.
“I’m all about making a business an interactive place where the people, the customers and the staff can all be attached to it and [say], ‘This is my place, we love it and I feel included here,’” he said. “It’s just one of those easy-going, casual places where you can just have a good time.”
Though it’s only been open for the summer thus far, Hansen said the restaurant’s food, drinks and atmosphere have all been well received by the surrounding community.
“[The building has] been such a long-lasting anchor in this neighborhood [and] the community of Oshkosh, and there’s been a restaurant here for so many years, I just felt like I had to bring it back to its former glory,” he said. “We have so many neighbors who are saying to us, ‘Thank you for doing what you did to this place and giving us a spot to come to again.’”
For more information on The 1890 Pub & Bistro’s hours and menu, visit its website or find it on social media.
