AIRPORT RESTAURANT GETS REPRIEVE

The Cape Girardeau City Council Monday night gave city staff six months to breathe new life into the financially troubled airport restaurant.

The council said it will review the situation in December or January.

Some councilmen had talked of shutting down the restaurant. But they relented at the urging of Airport Board Chairman J. Fred Waltz.

"We agree it is difficult to throw good money after bad," Waltz said.

But he said the airport board would work to market the restaurant and boost business.

The city has been unable to find a private party to operate the Runway Restaurant & Lounge.

Since the city took over operation last August, the restaurant has been losing money. Through the end of May, the operation was $53,000 in the red.

But Assistant City Manager Doug Leslie said one-time, start-up expenses were partly to blame.

The fiscal 1996 budget projects a loss of $38,000.

Airport Manager Greg Chenoweth said efforts are under way to get more Nash Road industry employees to use the restaurant.

Ultimately, the restaurant should come close to breaking and might even be profitable, Waltz said.

Councilman Richard Eggimann hopes the city eventually will interest a private party in taking over the restaurant.

Councilman Tom Neumeyer agreed that the city shouldn't be in the restaurant business.

Longtime airport board member

John Seesing, a longtime airport patron and a former airport board member, said a restaurant has been a fixture at the airport almost continually since 1948.

The restaurant provides another reason for general aviation pilots to stop here, he said.