Update, May 7:
Hunter King, owner of King's Kitchen, gave Patch an update Tuesday on the situation.
King is waiting to hear back from Parks and Recreation Director Gerry Lombardo regarding King's offer to purchase the concession stand from the town.
He's hoping the offer and ensuing negotiations will postpone a potential demolition of the structure.
The inside of the building is fine, King said, but new coastal building codes mean new requirements, like the shack being elevated 3-5 feet off the ground and other work, totaling an estimated $35,000 $45,000.
King has been fundraising via fundrazr.com, go.gofunding.com, and word of mouth with the hope of creating a "for the town, by the town" community establishment.
"We're trying to bring sustainability to Connecticut, provide business to local farms, and set new examples for food," King said.
"I don't know why somebody would want to let that be taken away from the community."
In the meantime, King's Kitchen will operate out of a Feel Good Foods trailer owned by the executive chef of King's Westport eatery The Red Hen.
Those looking to help can visit the following King's Kitchen fundraising pages:
http://gogetfunding.com/project/save-kings-kitchen-1
https://fundrazr.com/campaigns/fUXv9
Original Post, May 6:
The brothers behind Southport Beach's King's Kitchen sat down with Fairfield's Parks and Recreation Department Monday to negotiate business.
Owners Hunter and Carter King said via the King's Kitchen Facebook page that they're looking to purchase the concession stand from the town for $1.
"After investing $30,000 in the Kitchen last summer I need to keep this building!" Hunter King wrote on Facebook.
"We need to pump new life through our beloved beach shack!"
The shack that housed the farm-to-table eatery last summer was damaged by Hurricane Sandy in October. New coastal building codes set in place after Sandy mean the shack needs $35,000-$45,000 worth of work to reopen, according to the King's Kitchen Facebook page.
The eatery was denied FEMA aid and insurance will only cover a small portion of what's needed to get the shack back in business.
The brothers were looking to make back their initial $30,000 investment this summer, but "we look to be at a loss," Hunter King wrote.
The Kings are attempting to raise the money needed to fix up the shack via fundrazr.com -- here's their page: https://fundrazr.com/campaigns/fUXv9
"We want to serve the town beach fare more than ever and we need your help," Hunter King wrote on the fundraising page.
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