GIRARD Amen Corner to reopen

The rebuilt business will use a city-owned lot for parking.
By TIM YOVICH
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
GIRARD -- Can I get an Amen!
Certainly, in about 31/2 weeks when Amen Corner -- which was destroyed by fire -- reopens downtown.
"Our original plan was to open in April -- little did I know what I was getting into," said Marty Eunice, co-owner with Don Fleck.
Eunice and Fleck had a business for 51/2 years along South State Street near Interstate 80.
It was a popular tavern to which community leaders migrated after meetings until Jan. 25 when an electrical fire caused an estimated $300,000 damage.
The blaze struck just before the Super Bowl. "It's your strong point of the year" as a sports bar, Eunice said.
Amen Corner has nothing to do with religion. It has everything to do with sport.
The co-owners explained that when they had to come up with a name and since they both played golf, they named it Amen Corner, the famous nickname given to the area of holes 11, 12 and 13 at Augusta National Golf Club, the home of The Masters tournament.
"We weren't trying to offend anybody with the name," Fleck said.
New location
The new location will be 20 W. Main Street next to a city-owned parking lot across from the Girard Justice Center.
The co-owners bought the building that once housed the Eagles Club and most recently a substance abuse recovery center.
Eunice thought he and Fleck could reopen at the old location, but a change in state liquor laws stopped that idea because it didn't have enough parking.
"There isn't much you can do about that," Eunice said.
The new bar will be about a third larger than the original and continues the sports and golf theme.
It will be more modern and handicapped accessible.
"It's a lot of work doing most of this ourselves," Fleck said, noting neither he nor Eunice has any professional building experience.
The dining room and 22-seat bar will be able to accommodate 120 patrons. The menu will be initially limited to sandwiches and pizza. Later, home-style meals will be added.
"We're pretty happy about it," Mayor James J. Melfi said of the resurrection.
Melfi gave his permission for the tavern to use the city parking lot.
"We encourage it. The lot was built with public dollars," the mayor said, adding that other businesses that can benefit are welcome.
yovich@vindy.com