OBSERVER Photo The White Inn, located on Main Street in Fredonia, is up for sale. Owner Jeff Gambino said while he’s looking to sell the hotel, the plan is to open it back up sometime in May if there’s no buyer by then. People can book rooms for the summer months as Gambino said they are reservering them every day.

The White Inn is up for sale, but it’s not closed for good.

The three-story, 24-room hotel on Main Street in Fredonia shut its door for the winter months. Owner Jeff Gambino said while he’s looking to sell the hotel, the plan is to open it back up sometime in May if there’s no buyer by then.

The building is currently listed on Loopnet.com with an asking price of $1.2 million. Gambino said he’d love to find a local owner.

“It’s a great viable business,” he said. “We’re hoping it will be reopening with someone who’s local who can open back up the food and beverage. If that opens up, it once again becomes viable year-round.”

Gambino said the business needs food and beverage in order to operate year-round. The food and beverage aspect was being leased out, but Gambino brought that to a close after it wasn’t working.

“In the summer months, the business is feasible without food and beverage,” he said. “There’s enough people coming back to Fredonia to visit. In the winter months, it’s a different story.”During the cold months, Gambino said the only people coming to Fredonia are business travelers. He said those travelers want to eat at the hotel they’re staying in. Without food and beverage open, he said it doesn’t make sense to have the hotel going during the winter months since not many are coming to visit and stay.

Those looking to book a stay for the warm months can still do so. Gambino said people can reserve rooms for the summer though Travelocity or Expedia.

“People are still booking rooms every day for the summer,” he said.

As for the move to sell, Gambino said it’s a business decision. In addition, his wife and he relocated to Florida.

Gambino said there’s several people interested in the hotel. He said they’d also consider leasing the facility to the right person.

“We’ve had a lot of interest and we’re pursuing all those options at this point,” he said.

Fredonia Mayor Athanasia Landis told the OBSERVER she’s keeping a close eye on the building as she acknowledged the importance of the White Inn to the village.

“I have great interest into what is going to happen to the building,” she said.