ST. LOUIS — St. Louis-based craft brewery Rockwell Beer is planning to open a second location at Francis Park in the St. Louis Hills neighborhood in south city.
The new location, called Rockwell Beer Garden, will be located next to the Francis Park tennis courts. It will feature a walk-up food counter, concession stand and an outdoor dining and gathering space.
Rockwell Beer Garden is scheduled to open later this summer following “extensive” renovations and upgrades to the facility, the brewery announced in a news release. It will operate on a seasonal basis.
Rockwell Beer said the new location is a nod to St. Louis’ past beer garden culture and is designed to be a focal point for community gathering within the park. It will include plenty of outdoor seating, fire pits and an outdoor recreation area. In addition to offering Rockwell Beer products, the new location will serve cocktails, wine and non-alcoholic beverages. It will also include family-friendly fare and some full-service dining options.
“We are obsessed with reinvigorating the longstanding beer garden culture in St. Louis, because it provided such a tremendous sense of community to people in our city,” Rockwell Beer cofounder James Sanders said in the release. “With the tremendous help and support of various St. Louis Hills neighborhood associations, Alderman Tom Oldenberg, and the City of Saint Louis, our Rockwell team is creating a gathering spot in Francis Park that has something for the entire family. As a longtime St. Louis Hills resident, I am especially proud of this accomplishment.”
As part of the renovations, the City of St. Louis Parks Department will make improvements to the Francis Park tennis courts and some will be repurposed as pickleball courts. The Rockwell Beer Garden will have pickleball equipment available by request.
“It has been a rewarding process to work with the Rockwell team and help them bring the Rockwell experience to Francis Park,” said Oldenberg. “The park is the crown jewel of our neighborhood. Having a new place – with high quality food and drinks – for people of all ages to gather makes the park even more special.”
Rockwell Beer said the goal of opening the new location was to have it become an integral part of visits to Francis Park while respecting the neighborhood and history of the park.
For more information, visit the Rockwell Beer Co. website.