By Josh Bergeron

The Selma Times-Journal

 

Selma residents can have a drink, eat some steak and donate to the historic St. James Hotel on Tuesday during a charity event at the famous riverfront hotel.

The benefit event starts at 5 p.m., with happy hour and the dining room opens at 6:30 p.m.

As of Saturday, the hotel had 24 open seats for dinner, but Ward 2 councilmember Susan Keith said guests shouldn’t worry about a shortage of seats.

“We will have some alfresco dining in the courtyard, too,” Keith said. “It sounds fancy but it just means outdoor dining.”

The menu will include smothered steak, baked chicken and roasted potatoes.

Guests are likely to notice several familiar faces at the event. Keith said city council members would be waiters for the event. Ward 1 councilmen Cecil Williamson will be the Maître d’hôtel, or headwaiter, for the event.

Keith said the event should be a normal dining experience with a monetary twist. All proceeds from the event will go toward the repair and revitalization of the hotel.

A priority will be placed on using to proceeds to pay for new linens and day-to-day operations, Keith said.

The hotel currently has 32 rooms that can be rented, but also has several in need of repair.

The hotel will host several more benefit events to continue operating the hotel until the city sells the hotel, Selma Mayor George Evans said last week during the city council’s meeting.

“We have had two different buyers call us about purchasing the hotel,” Evans said during the meeting.

Evans said one of the potential buyers is from Alexandria, Va., and the other is based in central Alabama.