A second act for the Schumachers

After a four-year absence, John and Kathleen Schumacher are returning to their former stomping grounds. This time around, the couple's historic New Prague hotel and restaurant (housed in an 1898 building designed by architect Cass Gilbert) is going by the name Schumacher's Hotel and Grill 212 (212 W. Main St.), and the new name is the first of many changes, some of which have been years in the making.

"It was about 2004, and I was listening to MPR," said John. "They were talking about Control Data, and how the company got into a niche and couldn't get out of it. I realized I was in the same boat, I was hung with this heavy Czech/German menu, the wild game, the three-hour dining, the expensive experience, and I thought, 'I'll never get away from it. People will never believe that I can do something different.' So I sold it."

Problem is, the business didn't stay sold, and after watching their life's work sit empty for several years, the couple decided to get back into the game, reinventing themselves in the process.

"I'm starting a new cuisine," John said with a laugh. "It's called 'uncomplicated cuisine,' and it's a lighter, faster menu." For example: "We'll have a menu item called 'something green,' and it will be whatever is in season, whether it's broccoli or beans," he said.

"There's going to be a steak with two side dishes. We'll be making our own sausages. We'll have an upside-down cake, which could be strawberry in the spring, apple in the fall and pineapple in the winter. We'll have a pork chop with applesauce. In the old days, it would have been a strawberry-rhubarb confiture, but not now. We're keeping the message simple," John said.

The hotel is following suit, shrinking from a dozen rooms to six two-room suites. The dining room has also undergone a makeover. "It's much more bistro-ish," said Kathleen, who has also revamped the wine and craft beer lists. "This time around we're not trying to be a special-occasion place. We want to be the place where people feel comfortable and come often."

In the period in between Schumacher's 1.0 and Schumacher's 2.0, John has been keeping busy. He's just released his eighth cookbook -- "Catch of the Day: 200 + Easy Recipes for the Everyday Angler" (Krause Publications, $22.99) -- and his Game Gourmet food products are stocked at retailers such as Cabela's and Gander Mountain.

Another change: For the first time in 34 years, John will not be a part of the Minnesota State Fair. "I've never been 62 before, and all of the sudden I started to reprioritize," he said with a laugh. "I love the fair, but I'm having a lot more fun with this thing, and it's time for me to put my efforts into the hotel."

The French Meadow Bakery & Cafe (2610 Lyndale Av. S., Minneapolis, www.frenchmeadowcafe.com) has taken over the Schumachers' large chunk of fairgrounds real estate. "They do a heck of a job," said John. "I wish them all the luck in the world."

The couple also plan to revive their schedule of cooking classes and wine-and-beer tasting events. The restaurant (serving dinner daily and lunch Saturday) and hotel are set to quietly open on Sept. 4, with a grand celebration set for Oct. 1, which is 35 years to the day that Schumacher's first opened to the public.

"I can't tell you how excited we are to welcome people back and make new friends," said Kathleen.

RICK NELSON