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Restaurant equipment to be auctioned off
Hoping the success of Bid It! Bourbon County will rub off, the city will auction off a variety of kitchen equipment from Woodland Hills Golf Course starting this coming week.
The restaurant and kitchen at the golf course have been closed since the city purchased the links last year. City officials have chosen to sell all the kitchen equipment and accessories because it would not be feasible to pay for several costly repairs to the old kitchen. Additionally, there are no plans to put another restaurant in the clubhouse.
"We can't get a restaurant out in the clubhouse," Fort Scott Economic Development Recruitment and Retention Manager Macy Cullison said. "We're not set up to rent it out to a restaurant or run one ourselves. It's not economical for us. The amount of repairs are astronomically expensive. We thought it would be better to sell the equipment and use the proceeds to keep the course up."
Some people had expressed interest in the restaurant and kitchen space, but quickly lost momentum once they saw the amount of repair work that needed to be done such as cleaning and fixing walls and floors that are falling apart, Cullison said.
"It would take several hundred thousand dollars to fix it up, probably," she noted. "It hasn't been well taken care of for a long time."
Golf Course Superintendent Jon Kindlesparger added that it would not be cost-efficient to pay for repairs and personnel to keep a restaurant operating at the golf course.
"People want to grab a beer, maybe a sandwich and play golf," he said. "There are plenty of places to eat in Fort Scott. They don't want to dine."
Anyone who would lease the building for use as a restaurant would most likely sell the equipment and start over anyway, he added.
Some items offered for sale include a four-tap keg cooler, freezers and refrigerators, a six-burner gas stove, a flat-top grill, fryers, prep stations, stainless steel countertops, a dishwashing station, a three-compartment sink, a walk-in cooler, buffet serving equipment, as well as a variety of serving and restaurant accessories.
All the equipment and accessories are functioning properly and most of the items are in good condition, Cullison said.
Items will be sold at auction on the city's Facebook page and each item listed will include a photo. Cullison said Facebook was chosen for the sale after seeing the sucess of Bid It! Bourbon County, an online auction website found through the popular social media network.
"Using Facebook reduces cost and makes it easier for us to get everything ready," Cullison said. "It also helps us keep it local."
Cullison said the hope is that interested parties can upgrade their business or expand by purchasing the available equipment. She said organizers have set no specific monetary goal for the fundraiser.
"I think if we bring in a couple thousand dollars, we would all be happy," she said.
City officials are waiting to see how much the sale brings in before deciding exactly what the funds will pay for.
However, all the proceeds will be used to benefit the course, Cullison said.
She said money could be used for updates to other parts of the clubhouse, or for equipment and supplies needed for green maintenance. Kindlesparger added the proceeds could also be used for irrigation and equipment repairs.
"We're playing it by ear right now," Kindlesparger said. "So many things need to be fixed."
Cullison said the kitchen area will be sealed off and will not be available for public use.
Kindlesparger said the space may be used for storage. The front portion of the clubhouse will be the only area open to the public. He said he may consider renting the dining area for parties and other events.
For a list of rules and instructions, as well as other items available in the auction, visit the city's Facebook page at www.facebook.com/city.of.fort.scott. Bidding begins at 8 a.m. Monday, March 12, and ends at 1 p.m. Friday, March 16.
All items must be removed from the golf course by the winner by Sunday, March 25.
Items are available for viewing at the course until March 12.
For more information on the items, call (620) 223-0550.