Former Skeller Location Applies for Liquor License

New owners at the former location of the All-American Rathskeller have applied for a liquor license, according to a public notice posted in the bar’s window.

The notice identifies “Trosko, Inc.” as the applicant for the license. Tom and Kelley Trosko announced January 27 — the last call for the All-American Rathskeller after the former proprietors, Duke and Monica Gastiger, were notified they would not be offered a new lease — that they had leased the location.

The application also indicates there’s a new owner and a new location for the liquor license, so it seems the Troskos aren’t buying the liquor license from the Gastigers, who previously operated the Skeller in the space. Instead, the Troskos are asking to transfer a liquor license from “CCHZ LLC” at 417 E. Calder Way.

Bizapedia lists the address of CCHZ LLC at 415 E. Calder Way, the same address as the Herlochers’ downtown office. The Herlochers own the Foster/Gentzel building, which includes the former Skeller space now leased by the Troskos.

After the Skeller closed, a legal battle ensued as the Herlochers evicted the Gastigers before their lease officially ended, arguing they had violated conditions of the lease — specifically that they removed property that was required to stay on the premises, like the bar’s iconic booths.

Photos by Morton Lin (left), Save the Skeller Facebook page (right)

There’s no set opening date for the Troskos’ new venture, and they haven’t yet announced what the new/old bar will be called. However, they’ve said from the beginning they plan to preserve the history and atmosphere embodied by the Skeller.

Getting a liquor license would bring them that much closer to opening, but it’s safe to say this won’t happen until after the end of Penn State’s spring semester, as the process takes at least 30 days.