A new restaurant and pub is on the horizon for downtown Fort Scott, called Pizza Republic.

“We want to make sure people have good options,” Bret Holder, the president of the new business venture said. “You’ll get a great meal and it’s a place for the whole family.”

Robert and Kimberly Coon, owners of 17 S. Main, the old Kress Building, are partnering with Pat McDonald and Bret and Sara Holder, all of Fort Scott,  and Dennis Moon, Houston, TX, Sara’s uncle, to open the new business venture by September 1.

Bret Holder is the president of Pizza Republic, and has 20 years of corporate law experience, he said. “I am setting the vision, and making sure it’s going,” he said.

Pat McDonald just moved from Kansas City Northland, and has previous restaurant ownership experience: PatMacs in Kansas City. He is also an investor, chief chef and manager, he said.

Moon is the treasurer of the new venture, Holder said.

The Coons have been facilitating the reno of the first floor,  5,000 square foot of space, that will be divided into a family dining area, a bar, a large kitchen and an office space.

In the family side will be arcade games, a juke box, 10-plus big screen TVs and space for live music on occasion.

“It’s a big thing coming,” Robert Coon said. “The new floor plan requires a lot of reconstruction. The restaurant and pub will take up the entire first floor.”

“Kim and I have a residential construction crew, that we are having them take time off from that, to work on this,” he said. “We’ve been working non-stop.”

The idea for the business has been percolating for some time.

“Bret and Pat approached me quite some time ago, but I wasn’t open to the idea because the building was already rented,” he said.

A sushi restaurant business was formerly the renter of a portion of the first floor.

“The sushi restaurant closed on July 5,” Coon said.

The new restaurant plans to employ 15-20 people, Holder said.

The ideal candidates for employment are “go-getters from Fort Scott High School and Fort Scott Community College and others,” Holder said.

Holder, a veteran,  said the reason he moved to Fort Scott “was to help veterans with Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome with Adam LaRoche.”

Adam LaRoche, retired from major league baseball, along with his wife, Jennifer, both of Fort Scott, are the founders of the E3 Ranch Foundation.  Together, they are committed to put God’s love into action, through supporting combat wounded veterans, fighting against sex-trafficking, and providing support during humanitarian crises globally, according to their website.

In the future, Holder sees opportunities for veterans getting training at this restaurant for future franchises.

“The plan is open other restaurants, in other towns,” Holder said.

John Bartelsmeyer, Fort Scott’s jeweler, is training the next generation of jewelers.

Bartelsmeyer Jewelry specializes in retail jewelry sales, engagement rings, custom jewelry designs, and repair or restoration of all types of jewelry.

Krysta Hulbert has been working for him since 2010, and has been learning ring sizing, general jewelry repair, chain repair, welding with a torch and engraving.

Her husband, Wyatt, has been coming in on his days off his regular job to learn some of the trade as well.

“Wyatt is learning ring sizing and in the near future-diamond setting, stone setting and making pendants,” Bartelsmeyer said.

Bartelsmeyer started learning from his dad, Bart, at Newberry Jewelry. His dad had apprenticed as a watchmaker.

“In 1963, my dad bought the shop from Newberry’s widow,” he said.
“I had already been working with him after school on Saturdays.”

“So, I have been doing it for 60 years,” he said.

Through the years, Bartelsmeyer not only learned from his dad, but took jewelry seminars and schools and most recently gleans from You Tube, on the internet.

He credits Elmer Smith, who was a Fort Scott Community College welding instructor, with helping him learn to be a metalsmith, and eventually Bartelsmeyer helped teach the class.

“I love to move metal,” he said. “He taught me techniques I use everyday.”

Bartelsmeyer restores heirloom jewelry and also crafts chains out of gold and silver.

“I love what I am doing, I think it’s because of the smile on the customer’s face,” he said. “I get to work on beautiful things for beautiful people.”