The owners of Cohn’s Cafe and 110 South Main Mercantile & Market closed for January 2024 to work on the south half of the building.
“We painted the old banquet hall, removed the old carpet, and we will also replace the ceiling tiles and update the light fixtures,” said Kathy Dancer, owner.
The banquet hall, which was used by the Scottish Rite, is just on the other side of the cafe and is an area that has been closed off to customers in the past.
“The carpet has been removed, the walls have been repainted, and the ceiling has been removed and will be replaced this week,” she said. “The space will not be complete for the February 6th reopening, but it should be complete in early spring once we finish adding heating and air conditioning and complete some plumbing work in that portion of the building. Once HVAC is done, the retail store will move to that area.”
Cohn’s Cafe and the retail store will reopen on Feb 6, with new hours and days.
The businesses will be open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, with the kitchen closing at 2 p.m. each day. They have 11 employees
“We have added about a dozen new product lines to the retail store including Zum, Mountain Goat Soap Company, and Miners + Monroe Grooming,” Dancer said. “These are all Kansas-produced items. We are also restocking and expanding customer favorites such as Rural Pearl Art, Simply Delightful Popcorns, Frontier Soups, Two Southern Ladies, and Bath House Trading.”
“In the cafe, we have added several breakfast items including a breakfast sandwich, a breakfast croissant, and French toast, ” she said. “We will also be serving a gourmet grilled cheese sandwich, a specialty burger with a Bourbon maple glaze, and several new desserts including a skillet cookie and chess pies, made from Kress Tea Room recipes. We will still have quiche, crepes, and sandwiches from last year’s menu.”
The Kress Tea Room was a downtown Fort Scott staple for several years.
They are working on a third business in the building.
“We will continue working on the southern half of the building in the evenings and hope to have the micro-distillery licensed and operating by summer,” Dancer said.
Her husband, Tracy will operate the distillery. Tracy Dancer was newly elected to the Fort Scott City Commission.
Two of their children help out with the businesses.
“They work wherever needed in the kitchen, cafe, and store,” she said. “Katelyn, who is a senior at Fort Scott High School, does most of the baking. Her specialty is a scratch-made cheesecake. Andrew helps process new inventory.”
Contact info: phone number: 620-418-6209 or
Facebook: Cohn’s Cafe on Main
Facebook: Cohn’s Cafe on Main