TANNINGER COMPANIES ACQUIRE HISTORIC BUSINESSES WITH STRONG COMMUNITY TIES TO QUINCY, ELKTON HOTEL AND THE PATIO RESTAURANT BRANDS ARE ACQUIRED BY THE TANNINGER PORTFOLIO

​TULSA, OKLA.—MARCH 22, 2020—TANNINGER COMPANIES ANNOUNCED THE ACQUISITION OF THE LEGENDARY ELKTON HOTEL AND THE PATIO RESTAURANT BRANDS, LOCATED IN DOWNTOWN QUINCY, ILLINOIS, FROM OWNERS KIM AND MARK NEISWENDER.
 
BOTH BUSINESSES, WHICH HAVE BEEN AN INTEGRAL PART OF QUINCY FOR MORE THAN 60 YEARS, WILL EXPERIENCE A REBIRTH UNDER NEW OWNERSHIP; RESIDENTS AND GUESTS OF THE ELKTON WILL EXPERIENCE NO INTERRUPTION IN SERVICE, AND THE REIMAGINED PATIO RESTAURANT IS SLATED TO REOPEN THIS FALL. THE NEW OWNERS, RYAN JUDE TANNER AND JAY KROTTINGER OF TANNINGER COMPANIES, HAVE STRONG PERSONAL TIES TO QUINCY, AND A LOVE FOR THE PROPERTIES’ HISTORY.
 
THE ELKTON HOTEL WAS BUILT IN 1924 AS A COLLABORATIVE PROJECT BY LOCAL ARCHITECTS MARTIN GEISE AND HARVEY CHATTEN AS THE NEW HOME FOR THE ELKS CLUB. IN 1949, THE UPPER FLOORS WERE CONVERTED INTO A HOTEL AND THE STRUCTURE WAS REBRANDED AS THE ELKTON HOTEL. THE ELKTON IS NOW HOME TO 54 APARTMENTS. PRIOR TO THE POPULAR PATIO RESTAURANT OPENING IN THE MID 50S, THE SPACE SERVED AS A PRIVATE NIGHT CLUB CALLED THE TERRACE ROOM.

TALKS TO ACQUIRE THE PROPERTIES BEGAN JUST BEFORE CHRISTMAS 2019 WHEN TANNER RETURNED TO TOWN FOR THE QUINCY HIGH SCHOOL CHRISTMAS VESPERS CONCERT. “I CALLED THE PATIO TO MAKE A DINNER RESERVATION AND MARK ANSWERED,” TANNER RECALLED. “SHOCKINGLY, I STILL REMEMBERED THE TELEPHONE NUMBER AND WHEN MARK ANSWERED I INSTANTLY RECOGNIZED HIS VOICE.”
 
“WHEN RYAN CALLED TO MAKE A RESERVATION DURING THE HOLIDAY SEASON, IT BROUGHT BACK A FLOOD OF GREAT MEMORIES. I REMEMBERED HIM SITTING IN THE KITCHEN, EATING ICE CREAM AND WAITING FOR HIS GREAT GRANDMA, VELMA (TENNESSEE). HE ALSO REKINDLED MEMORIES OF ALL THE GREAT SERVERS, COOKS, BARTENDERS, BUSSERS THAT HELPED THE NEISWENDER’S REMAIN IN BUSINESS FOR 60 YEARS!! TOO MANY TO LIST, BUT IT WAS BECAUSE OF THEIR DEDICATION, WORK ETHICS AND WANTING TO TAKE CARE OF THEIR CUSTOMERS AND TREAT THEM AS OUR GUESTS, THAT WE HAD SUCH A GREAT RUN. IN RYAN AND JAY, I SEE TWO YOUNG, SHARP EAGER INDIVIDUALS THAT HAVE THE COMMITMENT TO KEEP OUR HERITAGE GOING AND ADDING THEIR OWN STAMP TO THE PATIO. IT HAS BEEN A PLEASURE TO WORK WITH THEM AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO MANY MORE DINNERS AT THE PATIO,” SAID MARK NEISWENDER.

TANNER AND NEISWENDER DISCUSSED THEIR SHARED HISTORY; TANNER’S GREAT-GRANDMOTHER, VELMA GARDNER, OPENED THE RESTAURANT WITH MARK’S FATHER, DAVE, IN 1959. “I REMEMBER YOU AND I LOVED YOUR GREAT-GRANDMOTHER,” MARK TOLD TANNER. “I NICKNAMED VELMA ‘TENNESSEE’ BECAUSE SHE WAS FROM JACKSON, TENNESSEE. SHE WAS ALSO ONE OUR MOST REQUESTED WAITRESSES, EVER, AND SHE WAS THE BOSS LADY.”
 
STEPHEN GRAMKE, MANAGING BROKER AT HAPPEL INC., REPRESENTED NEISWENDER AND TANNINGER COMPANIES. BOTH ARE INCREDIBLE GRATEFUL FOR HIS COMMITMENT AND PASSION HE DEMONSTRATED TO GET THE DEAL PAST THE FINISH LINE.
 
TANNER WAS BORN AND RAISED IN QUINCY, GRADUATING FROM QUINCY HIGH SCHOOL IN 1997 AND ILLINOIS COLLEGE IN 2002. IN RECENT YEARS, TANNER HAS INCREASED HIS INVOLVEMENT IN QUINCY PUBLIC SCHOOLS’ MUSIC DEPARTMENT FUNDRAISING INIATIVES. “COMING HOME MORE OFTEN HAS BEEN INCREDIBLY UPLIFTING AND CATHARTIC,” TANNER SAID. “MY HUSBAND—WHO IS ALSO MY BUSINESS PARTNER—AND I ARE HUMBLED BY HOW WELCOMING AND ENTHUSIASTIC THE COMMUNITY HAS BEEN. WE CAN FEEL THE LOVE! QUINCY GAVE ME SO, SO MUCH! I’M A PRODUCT OF THIS COMMUNITY AND WE INTEND TO HAVE A STRONG AND IMPACTFUL PRESENCE HERE.” TANNER’S PATERNAL GREAT-GRANDFATHER, WALTER TANNER, FOUNDED TANNER MUSIC COMPANY IN DOWNTOWN QUINCY IN THE 1930S. TANNER SAID, “IT’S COOL TO HAVE ANOTHER TANNER BACK IN DOWNTOWN QUINCY!”
 
TANNER EXPLAINED HIS STRONG EMOTIONAL ATTACHMENT TO THE HOTEL AND RESTAURANT. “THIS REALLY FEELS LIKE A FULL CIRCLE MOMENT,” TANNER SAID. “MY ‘NANNY GARDNER’ SUPPORTED OUR FAMILY ON HER TIPS FROM WORKING AT THE PATIO, BUYING OUR FIRST HOME IN 1979 AT PALM GARDNER TRAILER PARK ON SOUTH 8TH STREET, AND THEN OUR SECOND HOME ON WILLOW DRIVE IN 1980. SHE LOVED US SO MUCH AND WAS ABLE TO PROVIDE FOR US BECAUSE THE NEISWENDERS BELIEVED IN HER, BECAUSE OF NANNY’S SOUTHERN TENACITY, AND THANKS TO HER WONDERFUL CUSTOMERS AT THE PATIO. TO TAKE OWNERSHIP AND RESPONSIBILITY FOR SUCH A BELOVED SPACE—ONE THAT SHAPED MY LIFE—IS AN INCREDIBLY AWESOME EXPERIENCE. JAY AND I ARE GRATEFUL THE NEISWENDERS SELECTED US AS TORCH BEARERS FOR SUCH A PRIZED POSSESSION. THE GRAVITY OF THIS MOMENT IS NOT LOST ON US.”
 
ABOUT THE TANNINGER COMPANIES:
FOUNDED BY RYAN JUDE TANNER AND JAY KROTTINGER, TANNINGER INCLUDES COMMERCIAL AND REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT, ENTERTAINMENT, HEALTHCARE, AND HOSPITALITY IN THEIR PORTFOLIO OF BUSINESSES. TANNER AND KROTTINGER ARE BOTH ACTIVE IN THEIR COMMUNITIES, SERVING ON MULTIPLE NON-PROFIT BOARDS, RAISING FUNDS FOR EDUCATION, ARTS, EMPOWERMENT FOR THE UNDERSERVED, AND SOCIAL JUSTICE. TANNER AND KROTTINGER ARE THE RECIPIENTS OF THE ANTOINETTE PERRY AWARD, OFTEN CALLED THE TONY AWARD. THE TONY AWARD IS CONSIDERED THE NATION’S HIGHEST THEATRE HONOR. IN 2019, TWO MORE SHOWS RECEIVED COVETED AWARDS WITH THE REVIVAL OF ROGERS AND HAMMERSTEIN’S “OKLAHOMA!” WINNING THE TONY AWARD; ONE MONTH PRIOR, TANNER AND KROTTINGER WON THE LAURENCE OLIVIER AWARD FOR THEIR LONDON-PRODUCED BROADWAY HIT, “COME FROM AWAY.” THE OLIVIER IS CONSIDERED UNITED KINGDOM’S HIGHEST THEATRE HONOR.