Airport restaurant deal fails to get off the ground: Quincy Regional-Baldwin Field (KUIN), Quincy, Illinois

Owners withdraw from agreement after getting old location back; Aeronautics Committee also approves Airport Manager hiring

Owners of a closed Payson restaurant who were in talks with the city to open an establishment in the Quincy Regional Airport have backed out of the proposed agreement.

The news comes one day after the Quincy City Council tabled approval of a proposed lease agreement and sent it to the Aeronautics Committee.

Roy and Penny Noble had planned to open the Blue Skys Family Restaurant in the Quincy Regional Airport. The space formerly housed The Runway restaurant.

The Nobles had previously owned the Payson Park View Restaurant but were forced to close when the building they rented was sold.

Under the lease agreement, the owners would have paid $910.83 a month in rent, plus utilities. The city council was slated to take up the lease agreement at their meeting on Tuesday night but decided to send it to the Aeronautics Committee so they could look at the agreement first.

Quincy Mayor Kyle Moore said the owners notified the city on Wednesday that they would no longer seek to open the restaurant at the airport because they had arranged to get their former Payson location back.

“The restaurant was approached by their bank today who said that they had foreclosed on the restaurant’s old property,” Moore said.

“Essentially the (old) restaurant was there, ready for them to move in and also was less expensive than their lease was going to be with the airport so they decided to go with their old location. It was kind of a turn-key operation and they didn’t have to spend any time moving equipment or parts in there.”

Moore said the airport location remains available for any interested restaurant owner.

The Aeronautics Committee also addressed the hiring of Jarred Hester as Airport Manager. Hester’s appointment was tabled by the City Council last month so the Committee could look at it.

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The city has been in hot water with the Federal Aviation Administration over staffing issues including not having a full-time airport manager.

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The one-year agreement with Hester stipulates that he will receive a salary of $53,811 with a pay increase if he completes the Accredited Airport Executive Program. The committee decided to extend the amount of time Hester must complete the program to 42 months.

With little discussion, the motion to hire Hester received unanimous approval. The City Council will take up the matter at next Monday’s meeting.

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