A historic Prosser home converted into an established restaurant is on the market for an eager entrepreneur.

Jeremy’s 1896 Public House, an eatery and pub at 1232 Wine Country Road, once was home to the first Prosser mayor, E.W. Taylor. It’s been Sue and Dick Poteet’s restaurant for the past four years.

It’s known for its gourmet burgers, unique sandwiches, loaded pizzas and award-winning wines.

Three months ago, the couple decided to sell it.

Running a restaurant was the family’s shared dream, Sue Poteet said.

Their son, Jeremy, the restaurant’s namesake, was drawn to the food service and hospitality industry at an early age, after attending Ghormley Meadow Christian Camp in Naches. He landed a job as a summer staff member shortly after graduating and spent a year working in food service for the camp.

That experience parlayed into his role at Jeremy’s 1896 Public House, which the family opened on Sue’s birthday in June 2014 after remodeling the 122-year-old home into a business.

The kitchen was updated, as well as the the main floor, which spans 3,024 square feet and includes a dining and banquet room. There’s space for 80 guests inside the restaurant and 70 people on the deck, said Scott Howell, a commercial broker for the Kenmore Team.

“So your capacity is absolutely huge to throw large events, and that makes a big difference,” he said. “A lot of restaurant owners, when they go into business, they get a space that’s too small, so you’re not able to afford your overhead to do capacity. And that’s definitely not the case here.”

Upstairs is a 1,193 square-foot two-bedroom apartment, which Jeremy and his wife, Wendy, live in.

“With that apartment, you could either do an owner-occupied space — so the person taking over could live in the suite up top — or use it as a potential investment income,” said Howell, adding there’s a separate entrance for the apartment.

Howell said the restaurant went on the market Sept. 13 and immediately attracted interest from buyers.

“We had two fairly serious ones right off the bat,” he said. “We’ve had a lot of hits from the Seattle metropolitan area, restaurants that want to expand or takeover, ideally keeping the Jeremy’s name.”

Howell said he’s a fan of the place, as his wife, who grew up in Sunnyside, and his in-laws dine there frequently.

“It’s become one of our favorite spots to go, whether it’s wine tasting with friends or enjoying beer and dinner. So I was very familiar with Jeremy’s,” he said. “Jeremy’s is a staple to us. It’s delicious there. It’s one of those places that appeals to everyone.”

It also should be appealing to future owners, Howell said.

The traffic count on Wine Country Road, which runs from Prosser to Grandview, is about 2 million a year. In terms of traffic count on LoopNet — the commercial real estate’s Zillow — Howell said the business maintains “an excellent rating.”

Sue Poteet said that while tourism helps their business, it’s the locals who keep it going. They’re grateful for the support they’ve had and hope the new owners embrace the Prosser community.

The family decided to list the restaurant after Jeremy Poteet received an offer to come back and work with his former camp ministry.

“As a small business owner, you need an exit strategy,” said Sue Poteet, who added that the family came to the decision to sell together. “I said, ‘You know, Dick, it’s time.’ Dick and I aren’t getting any younger. We need to have less stress in our lives. It’s about time. When you’re making money and on the upswing, it’s when you should be looking to get out.”

Originally listed at $850,000, Howell said it’s recently been relisted at $775,000.

For more information, contact Howell at 509-379-3111.