More than 50 diners stood shoulder-to-shoulder inside the main dining room of Zum Stammtisch on Friday night, May 5, as the historic German restaurant and bar in Glendale hosted a particularly packed house to celebrate its 50th anniversary.
Regardless of whether or not they’re close friends or complete strangers, patrons shared a few laughs, joined in on the songs played by a live band, and took more than a few swigs of authentic German beer.
Overwhelmingly warm lighting only complimented the Tudor-style architecture that makes those who entered wonder if they’d accidentally stumbled into a traditional old German pub.
Most notable to those both near and far who walked into the swinging doors at Zum Stammtisch on May 5 were the golden-colored balloons, streamers and decorated flyers in celebration of the establishment’s 50th anniversary.
“I really am grateful to all the people that kept this going through all these years,” said Hans Lehner, co-owner of Zum Stammtisch.
The brothers and owners of Zum Stammtisch, Hans and Werner Lehner, have operated the establishment for roughly 40 years. The origins of the iconic Glendale staple began with their father, John Lehner, when he established the restaurant in November 1972.
“He opened it up with the thought of giving this authentic German food back to the people, a lot of them who emigrated from Germany, and it was a winning idea,” Hans Lehner said. “The restaurant, thank God, survived all these years and even as the neighborhoods changed and the clientele has changed.”
John later expanded the dining space in 1988 when the building next-door was up for grabs. The space was then used to host party groups and separate smoking and non-smoking dining areas, as the restaurant’s history indicates.
After John died in October 1993, Hans and Werner took the reins of the family-owned business. Since then, they’ve seen it all the way through to 50 years of service.
They also spearheaded the opening of the
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