The restaurant had a five-decade run before shutting down in January 2006, operated in its later years by Walter Schaller. Then in 2010, Serena Walther, granddaughter of the restaurant’s founder, Neil Swafford, moved from California back to her hometown of Dayton, and with her then-husband Eric Leventhal, renovated the space and reopened the restaurant in 2011. The restaurant opened strong, fueled in part by nostalgia, but later struggled and suspended operations in late 2014.
In its heyday primarily in the 1960s and 1970s, Neil’s was a popular supper club and special-events venue, drawing wedding receptions, family reunions, class reunions, school dances and a variety of other events.
The items up for auction range from a hostess stand to throwback red vinyl chairs to kitchen equipment. Online bidding has been spirited on some items: a small water fountain originally listed for an opening bid of $1 has received nine bids already, the most recent bid reaching $51.
The 2.2-acre tract that includes the three-story, 24,000-square-foot restaurant and banquet center building and an adjacent residential duplex was put on the market about three months ago. Tom Kretz, commercial Realtor for Berkshire Hathaway and the listing agent for the property, said in March that he was looking for “a best-fit partner who can take this over and help take it to the next 50 years.” Re-development possibilities include a restaurant, a brewpub, medical offices, or multi-family residential housing, Kretz said.
Earlier this week, Kretz appeared to suggest that there could be a potential buyer. “We are bound to a confidentiality agreement at this time,” Kretz said. “Stay tuned.”
For more information about the auction, go to www.worleyauctioneers.com or email auctioneer Penny Worley at penny@worleyauctions.com.
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