Restaurant equipment to be sold at auction

Fixtures and equipment from two former Cape Girardeau restaurants -- ranging from tables and chairs to refrigerators and flat screen televisions -- will be sold next week through an online auction service.

However, plans for the former Ruby Tuesday and O'Charley's restaurant buildings -- and the property where they are located -- have not been announced by Drury Southwest, which owns the buildings and real estate.

A source at Drury Southwest told the Missourian last week it may be several months yet before any announcement is made about future of the vacant buildings or site.

The side-by-side restaurants, at the intersection of William Street and South Mount Auburn Road in Cape Girardeau, closed more than six months ago when neither franchise renewed leases with the Drury organization.

All of the equipment and fixtures in the auctions can be viewed at topshopauctions.com. They can also be inspected in person between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Tuesday at the restaurant locations. The Ruby Tuesday building is at 3069 William St. while the former O'Charley's building is next door at 3093 William St.

The general public is welcome to bid on all auction items. Information about how to register and bid in the auctions can be found on the Top Shop Auctions website.

According to the website, bidding for items at the O'Charley's location will end at 8 p.m. Tuesday. Items must be picked up between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. Thursday.

The Ruby Tuesday online auction will end at 8 p.m. Wednesday and items purchased through that sale must be picked up between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Friday.

Payment terms and other auction information, including complete lists of all fixtures and equipment, are available on the auction company's website.

Ruby Tuesday, headquartered in Maryville, Tennessee, has closed more than 120 of its locations since 2016. The Ruby Tuesday in Cape Girardeau was among more than 50 locations closed by the restaurant chain in 2019.

Meanwhile, the O'Charley's chain has also closed dozens of its restaurants in recent years including its Cape Girardeau location. O'Charley's is based in Nashville, Tennessee.

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