New Restaurant and Pub Coming to Downtown Fort Scott

From left: Bret and Sara Holder, Pat McDonald and Kim and Robert Coon are the investors in Pizza Republic.

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.

Demolition is taking place inside 17 S. Main, in preparation for the new restaurant, Pizza Republic.

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.”

Demo workers are employed by Robert and Kim Coon, from left, Noah Terry, Drake Garcia, and Dacoda Garcia, all of Fort Scott.

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.

 

 

 

 

 

9 thoughts on “New Restaurant and Pub Coming to Downtown Fort Scott”

  1. That’s awesome I’m so happy for y’all! We need a good pizza n pub! Such a great location. How do I apply for job?

      1. I will stop in! I am a grad from FSCC and going on to Geoscience. I am taking F/T online courses but will need a P/T job to keep the bills paid! I start class 8-29-2022. As I mentioned, it’s online so there is flexibility in my schedule. My name is Amanda. I can’t wait to see what ya got cooking!

        Look forward to meeting you!

        1. Amanda, be sure and tell them you just love the Donald Tr-mp Republican Party! That’ll get you at least minimum wage!

          1. Congrats and best wishes to all involved in getting this venture open and off the ground. I wish you all the success and can’t wait to check it out!!

            Randy, you are so blinded by hatred of a man that you will never meet, that you can’t help but to spew ignorance into even the comment section of an objective, non-political article about a new business. Kudos to you, Amanda, for pursuing a potential job opportunity using the available means and for not wasting your effort and energy to respond to Randy’s idiocracy. I likely should’ve followed your example and not wasted the time on him either, though, I am old and have more time to respond to jokers and fools such as he. Happy pizza-ing.

          2. I was in yesterday to pick up application. I will drop it by to you tomorrow. What is a good time?

            Thanks,

            Happy progress!

          3. I was in yesterday to drop application. I will wait to hear from you. What is a good time? I start classes the 29th so if I could learn the menu in the next couple weeks that’d be purrrfect!

            Thanks,

            Happy progress!

  2. HA, I will do! Does Wednesday sound good or do you want me to stop in Monday? I know y’all have got to be swamped. Any day will work. Do what’s best for your team and headaches 🙂

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