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Warfield’s makes way for new hotel

By Staff | Dec 16, 2008

Members of the public were allowed into Warfield’s Steak House last week, but not for dinner.

Naples senior auctioneer Pat Vitilio said at the December 11 auction that everything is being sold to make way for demolition and the construction of a new four-story hotel.

“They’re going to be demolishing the building and building a hotel here,” Vitilio said. “Everything is going to be liquidated, lock, stock and barrel from wall to wall. All of the light fixtures, the walk-ins and freezers, the whole ball of wax.”

Unlike some businesses, that have gone to auction recently, like the Barking Shark, Vitilio says the liquidation was not because of financial problems.

“It’s not a tax problem; there are no tax issues; there’s no liens; everything is free and clear,” he said. “The owner has a very successful business in Maryland, a turf farm and he just wants to try something else.”

Vitilio, who is employed by Anthony’s Auctioneers that has been in business for 33 years, said he has witnessed first hand the economic downturn in Southwest Florida.

“We’ve been busy,” he said. “We just did a two-day auction in Naples. The Village Design Shop, about 1,700 square feet and we did Margo’s Restaurant that has been in business for about 23 years. We’ve been doing a lot of business liquidations over the past couple of years.”

Vitilio said restaurants have especially been hit from the recession.

“It’s a tough business,” he said. “You’re only as good as your last meal and it’s hands on business and with his business up north it was a little difficult for him to manage it.”