NEW DETAILS: Tanks Bar and Grill set for auction Thursday

Thomas Gnau, Dayton Daily News, Ohio
·2 min read

Apr. 1—After a hoped-for sale of Tanks Bar & Grill fell through last year, the tavern and nearby properties are set for an auction Thursday, according to a local auction company.

The auction is scheduled for 4 p.m. Thursday at the Wayne Avenue bar.

"Tanks Bar & Grill, one of Dayton's iconic establishments, has been recognized in America's Best Restaurants 2020, Ohio Magazine's 'Best Burger in Ohio' in 2017 and achieved other notoriety," said Innovative Auction Inc. on its web site. "This is a longtime Dayton favorite that continues to have a strong following."

The bar's business site has seen updates, including an exterior restoration of the bar building and a new furnace.

"So many possibilities," the auction business said. "Equipment and furnishings have been left so it is essentially turn-key ready."

The auction business said five parcels will convey for one price. Properties at and near 2033 Wayne Ave., Dayton, will sell to a high bidder above a minimum bid of $259,000, with an additional 10% "buyer's premium" in effect to establish the contract price.

Those properties include 21 Anderson St., 2033-35 Wayne, 2101 and 2107 Wayne and 0 Wayne, an address for an attached bathroom, said Karen Huelsman, president and auctioneer of Innovative Auctions and a Realtor for Irongate. There are bidders registered for Thursday's auction, but she declined to say how many.

Buyers will need to have a driver's license and proof of funds or a pre-approval letter to register to bid, Huelsman said. (More information can be found at https://innovative-auctions.com/.)

"Well, certainly people love Tanks Bar and Grill. There's a lot of sentiment attached to it," Huelsman said.

The owners behind Tank's said on social media in June last year that the site's closure would be temporary as they attempted to find new owners. But six weeks of negotiations failed to yield a sale, Tank's said last September.

"After six weeks of negotiations, the buyer for Tank's changed their mind," the owners said on Facebook in September. "After looking at all options, Tank's will be auctioned."

This won't be the first auction at the site.

Auctioning of Tank's memorabilia, including neon and beer signs, was conducted last fall, according to Innovative Auctions.

Since opening in 1987 in the former home of Walnut Hills Bar, Tank's became a familiar hangout and meeting place.