Tony Packo's to develop Hungarian village

Tony Packo's is in the process of developing a Hungarian village near its original Front Street location in Toledo. The company recently purchased several properties surrounding the original Tony Packo's for the project. Five or six parcels were torn down to increase parking by about 50 or 60 spots.

Rob Horvath, chief operating officer, explained the driving force behind the project: "These properties became available, and they do not come up for sale frequently - probably less than once every 30 years. It was unique that of all these parcels came up for sale within a year's time. We didn't plan on doing this, but we had to take advantage of it."

From the original Tony Packo's at the comer of Front and Consaul Streets, going along Consaul one block east, the company plans to create what Horvath described as a "mini Frankenmuth, Hungarian-style."

Plans are not yet firm on all that the project will entail. Packo's does plan to own and operate all of the venues.

The first major portion of the project, Consaul Tavern, will be reopened by the end of this year as a neighborhood bar with the same name. "Both [bar] buildings are totally gutted right now and are being brought back to life - new facades, completely new interiors," stated Horvath. The tavern will offer a typical hamburger, chicken sandwich, and wings menu.

"For the other two operations," Horvath explained, "we're leaning towards one being a jazz entertainment venue and the other one being retail - some type of gift shop, which might include a coffee shop."

Plans for this portion of the project are expected to firm up next summer. "The reason we're a little bit slower on this project is we have the other two restaurants under construction, and those are priority one right now - the downtown project and the Findlay project," stated Horvath.

Packo's estimates the portions of the project involving Tucker's and the residential house being converted to a commercial operation is approximately a year and a half away.

The total investment budget for the project is not certain at this time. The land acquisition was about $600,000 and the renovation of the two bars will be about $200,000. Paul R. Sullivan, Jr., AIA, LLC, is the architect for the project; Tony Packo's is acting as its own general contractor.

Tony Packo's selected McNerney and Son, Inc. for the renovation and construction of its new downtown location. The $1.4 million project is scheduled for completion in mid February to early March. The building, located across from Fifth Third Field on the southeast corner of Washington and Superior Streets, was originally constructed in the 1890s as a hotel. It previously housed Walt's Auto Glass since 1945. The project involves renovation of the existing building into a 7,140 square foot restaurant / bar.

McNerney's scope of work includes carpentry, electrical, mechanical, masonry, concrete, drywall, ceilings, dryvit, masonry, flooring, and painting.

Tony Packo's will operate a full service restaurant at the new location similar to its historic Front Street location. It will feature restaurant seating for approximately 150 patrons, bar seating for an additional 50, and cafe seating outdoors during warmer weather.

"The theme will be a combination of three things," Horvath explained, "Traditional Packo's - buns and Packo paraphernalia on the walls. Some Toledo history, which we have a flavor of at the original location on Front Street. And most importantly will be some baseball history and Mud Hens theming throughout the place."

The downtown facility was originally slated to open for the 2005 baseball season. The city's economic incentive approval process extended Packo's original timeline estimate by a few months, so the company decided to time the opening of the restaurant to coincide with the beginning of the 2006 baseball season, instead of late in the 2005 season. "I did not want to open a baseball-themed restaurant at the end of the season it would have been anticlimactic," Horvath stated.

Tony Packo was a native east Toledoan, the son of Hungarian immigrants, born in 1908 near Consaul and Genesee Streets, where he opened a sandwich and ice cream shop in 1932. Tony Packo learned the restaurant business working for his older brother, John, who owned a place across Consaul Street in what is now Tony Packo's parking lot.

Within months of opening, Tony and Rose Packo knocked out a wall and expanded their first shop, in what is now the Consaul Tavern. By 1935 the business was strong enough that they decided to buy a building of their own. They purchased the wedge-shaped storefront at Front and Consaul, which houses part of today's Tony Packo's with a few more additions. The restaurant is still run by the Packo family.

In 1972, Burt Reynolds was playing "The Rainmaker" at a local auditorium, and Tony Packo, Sr.'s daughter, Nancy, wrote Reynolds a letter inviting him to the restaurant. Reynolds was the first big name to eat at Packo's and sign a hot dog bun which has since been done by a number of celebrities whose autographed hot dog buns now are enshrined on Packo's walls.

In 1976, Jamie Farr made his first of several mentions of Tony Packo's on the television show "M*A*S*H," which contributed to the growth of the restaurant.