Old Kaelin’s Restaurant To Be Auctioned

“If You Can’t Stop, Please Wave.” Generations of folks in the Highlands have passed by that familiar sign, in front of the Old Kaelin’s Restaurant, at 1801 Newburg Road, at the corner of Speed Avenue. Kaelin’s. The birthplace of America’s most popular sandwich, the cheeseburger. Kaelin’s. The first official franchise location for Col. Harland Sanders’ Kentucky Fried Chicken. A welcome dining spot for tourists, neighborhood families, and college students on dates.

And now, that fine old culinary landmark will be sold: Auctioned to the highest bidder on May 14.

The Kaelin family opened their restaurant in 1934, and ran it for 70 years, until it was sold to Clark Property Solutions, LLC, which took over in 2004 and renamed the place Mulligan's Pub & Grille. Last November, Mulligan’s shut down.

On Thursday, May 14, at the hour of 12:30 p.m. an absolute auction will take place on the site, and the restaurant and bar, along with all its furniture and fixtures, will be sold off to the highest bidder. Appraised at $1.1 million, the buildings and parking lot cover 8,500 square feet. A single-family home next to the restaurant, assessed at $132,000, will be auctioned separately at the same time.

If you are interested in buying—or simply looking for an opportunity for a nostalgic walk through the home of the cheeseburger—there will be an Open House from 1:00 p.m. until 3:00 p.m. next Friday, May 8.

Of course, if you can’t make it to the Open House, be sure to wave.