The Gobbler Supper Club, an iconic landmark site located along Interstate 94 halfway between Milwaukee and Madison, will be up for sale at a public auction on Saturday, Dec. 12, by Miller Land and Livestock, according to auctioneer Ray Miller.
Designed by architect Helmut Ajango in 1966 for local turkey farmer Clarence Hartwig, the 16,544 square-foot building on about nine acres of land includes a revolving bar, a restaurant and a banquet facility that seats 350 patrons.
"This is an incredible opportunity to purchase a turn-key entertainment operation at auction prices," said Miller. "Or the keen investor could turn this property into a variety of profitable businesses, taking advantage of this location right off the I-94 corridor in Johnson Creek with over 65,000 cars passing the site each day."
The Gobbler’s revolving bar seats 34 and came from the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in Chicago. The Gobbler’s circular sloped roof was designed to look like an abstract turkey. The club’s exterior features quartz crystal and lava rock imported from a volcano in Mexico.
The current owners have installed new equipment and systems, and the interior has been painted and renovated.
Miller said that if the property is not sold in its entirety, the contents will be sold separate from the real estate.
"This is an incredible opportunity," Miller said. “The Gobbler was a destination restaurant in the 1960s and 70s. The entry hall between the staging area and the restaurant is lined with 1,500 square feet of petrified wood. You cannot buy that anymore. We’ll be selling it by the piece by the pound."
The auction will be held on-site on Saturday, Dec. 12, , at 10 a.m. Bidders must register prior to bidding. The auction is open to the public. For more information, visit www.milleronlineauctions.com or www.buythegobbler.com.
