Schnitzelbank Doubles Down on Jasper
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowThe parent company of the popular Schnitzelbank restaurant in southern Indiana is expanding. Alpine Enterprises LLC hopes to breathe new life into the former Jasper Country Club clubhouse by turning it into a banquet hall. KlubHaus 61 co-owner Gail Hettinger says the company is in the process of renovating the building, which will open at the end of the month.
August 8, 2013
News Release
JASPER, Ind. – It's a new name, KlubHaus 61, and a new German-influenced appearance for the former Jasper Country Club clubhouse. The building's new owner, Alpine Enterprises LLC, is a fixture in Jasper's business and cultural scene.
Alpine Enterprises also owns the popular Schnitzelbank German restaurant and Schnitzelbank Catering. Alpine was a logical choice to buy the country club building when it went up for sale. As for the new name, Gail Hettinger of Alpine Enterprises says, “KlubHaus is in keeping with our local German influence. The '61' part recognizes the year, 1961, when Larry and Betty Hanselman opened the Schnitzelbank.”
German American Bank and the Indiana Statewide Certified Development Corporation are helping Alpine Enterprises buy and equip the building with financing from the U.S. Small Business Administration 504 loan program.
Indiana Statewide CDC works with local lenders to provide SBA 504 loans to owners of expanding companies. Congress created the SBA 504 program so owners of small businesses could get long-term, fixed rate loans with lower down payments similar to financing commercially available for large companies.
KlubHaus 61 is an important project for the Jasper community, says Michael Kern of German American Bank. “The former Jasper Country Club building has hosted many memorable gatherings for both families and businesses in Jasper for many years, and the closing of the golf course and clubhouse were deeply felt in our community. The desire of Gail Hettinger and Alan Hanselman (they are brother and sister) to bring the building back with a whole new German look and feel is being widely applauded,” Kern says.
Opening Day for KlubHaus 61 is August 31. “We’re hosting a large wedding that day,” says Gail Hettinger.
Beyond that, KlubHaus 61 hopes to become a local landmark for business meetings, reunions and holiday parties. It will also be home base for Schnitzelbank Catering and its 20 full-time employees. Hettinger says they expect to add another five or more full-time employees in the next few months. As many as 100 employees work for the catering company on a part-time or seasonal basis.
The SBA 504 loan helps Alpine plan its finances. Hettinger says, “We appreciate what the 504 loan is doing for us; it gives us a locked-in interest rate and requires a down payment that is much lower than regular commercial loans.”
Several area businesses have benefitted from the SBA 504 program through Kern, German American Bank and the Indiana Statewide CDC. Kern says, “The Indiana Statewide CDC has always been a pleasure to work with on projects such as this. The long term fixed rate is a great benefit to Alpine Enterprises LLC as it expands Schnitzelbank Catering service within this facility.”
The Indiana Statewide CDC has invested over $414 million in more than 1,000 Indiana companies since 1983, creating or saving 26,500 jobs. Indiana Statewide CDC is observing its 30th anniversary this year and is the largest CDC in Indiana.
Since Congress created the 504 program, SBA 504 loans have funded over $62 billion to more than 130,000 small businesses. In turn, those small firms have created or retained over 2.1 million jobs for the U.S. economy.
Source: Indiana Statewide Certified Development Corp.