Iconic Southern Illinois restaurant goes on auction block

A March 2 auction is scheduled for Fischer’s Restaurant, which will close Feb. 15.

Annette Allan and Kathy Bingheim, the two sisters who own the restaurant, announced last month they planned to close the iconic Belleville restaurant that had been family owned for more than 80 years.

Allan said they have received “a few” inquiries from people interested in taking over the restaurant and banquet room at 2100 W. Main St. It was run for many years by their father, Kenny Fischer, the longtime Belleville restaurateur and civic leader who died Jan. 18, 2016, at 84.

Allan said her family has a minimum bid in mind, but she declined to disclose it.

Allan Auction Service, which Annette Allan said is operated by her in-laws, will conduct the auction beginning at 1 p.m. “This is a turn-key restaurant and banquet center that has tons of potential,” is how the auction company describes Fischer’s.

The 30,000-square-foot restaurant and banquet center is on about 3 acres and has 258 feet of frontage on West Main Street.

This story was originally published February 6, 2017 at 5:02 PM with the headline "Iconic Southern Illinois restaurant goes on auction block."