The silent auction is a way to get rid of old decorations in preparation to refresh the restaurant and raise funds for a good cause, said General Manager Frank Rivera. 

The four-year-old restaurant is taking part in a chain-wide initiative called “Dressed to the Nines,” which will change the look of the restaurants, adding a modern and bright atmosphere.

Since Monday, more than $3,000 has been raised through the silent auction. Many of the Saratoga-specific items have high bids, and Rivera said regular customers are having fun bidding on “their” barstools. 

“We’ve had a fantastic start so far,” Rivera said. “It’s been a lot of fun watching the wolf packs of guests plotting and planning their next bid.”

According to Ninety Nine President John Grady, guests were surveyed about what changes they would like to see, and the restaurant is incorporating the public opinions.

“The whole purpose is to wrap the look around the brand—make things warmer, brighter and a more comfortable atmosphere,” Rivera said.

To localize the restaurant, photographs of local high school sports teams will cover the walls of the dining room. Other changes include new carpets, chairs, brightly upholstered booths, new staff uniforms and servers will be retrained to keep up with the competitive restaurant business.

“This is a challenging time for restaurants and businesses. We need to be on our A-game every day and give our customers the best of service,” he said.

It’s not just customer service that the Ninety Nine Restaurant chain prides itself on. For the past 10 years, the chain has held fundraisers for the Boys and Girls Club and school districts in the area where Ninety Nine Restaurants are located.  Over the past four years, the Saratoga Ninety Nine has raised more than $270,000 for the Boys and Girls club and local school districts.  The chain has had a 10-year relationship with the Boys and Girls Club.

“We really have a passion to serve the communities where we have restaurants and we really try to be involved,” Rivera said. “If something benefits children, it really seems to hit home.  Treating our community and children right is a parental instinct.  It really hits home.”

After the auction ends, the restaurant will close at 8:30 p.m. on May 11 for remodeling and reopen at 3 p.m. on May 15. This is the 54th restaurant to be overhauled out of 115, and the project will be completed nationwide in 2010.

“With the help of our guests and team members, I believe this will be a successful auction,” Rivera said. “We are passionate about our relationship with the Boys and Girls Club and local education and look forward to supporting them.”