@@facebook=
@@
SPRINGFIELD — Downtown’s Buffalo Wild Wings location will close Sunday, and replacing it will be a new fine dining and sports bar coming in May.
Buffalo Wild Wings, which has been at 42 N. Fountain Ave. for 13 years, is closing after lack of parking and a location on North Bechtle Avenue caused sales to drop, said owner Kent Schilling.
“It’s just the lack of sales,” Schilling said. “When I opened one at Bechtle three years ago, I knew sales would go down.”
He said sales dropped further because parking in downtown was more difficult than parking at the Bechtle location.
“The killer was when our illustrious leaders decided to bring a park and green space downtown instead of a parking space,” Schilling said.
Clark County Commissioner John Detrick said there are plans to address downtown’s parking issues in the future.
“We have long-range plans for a parking garage because of potential growth at CodeBlue and the hospital and other businesses downtown,” Detrick said.
When the Buffalo Wild Wings corporate office asked Schilling to do a costly renovation to the downtown facility, he said he decided sales weren’t good enough to spend the additional money.
“I don’t want to close downtown, that’s my first Buffalo Wild Wings I personally opened up,” Schilling said. “I tried for the last six months to work with corporate, but they said no.”
Schilling said around 30 people work at the downtown location, and that he will try to employ about 80 percent of them to work at the North Bechtle store.
“There will be very few people losing their jobs,” he said.
There is a chance for employment at the new Infusion’s restaurant, which will fill the vacant spot Buffalo Wild Wings left.
The restaurant’s owner, Renee Turner, of Springfield, has been working with WorkPlus One-Stop Center to screen and interview people for 50 full-time positions, she said.
“This was just an opportunity at the wonderful gateway building downtown,” Turner said.
She said the city will allow her to use a lot for parking across the street that will later be turned into a parking garage.
“Since Casey’s closed down, I want to have that kind of food available,” she added.
Infusion’s will have a soft opening at 42 N. Fountain Ave. in mid-May, said Turner, who did not have a specific date. The grand opening will be in June.
Turner said she hopes that former employees of Casey’s and Buffalo Wild Wings will apply for a position at her restaurant.
Those interested in applying may do so through the WorkPlus One-Stop Center at 1345 Lagonda Ave. or by calling (937) 327-1961.
Contact this reporter at (937) 328-0371 or emason@coxohio.com.
About the Author