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The Golden Hoosier restaurant and bar coming to the former Southtown Pub space

Owners Ivan and Berto Garcia envision the tavern-style establishment as the flagship of a redevelopment project spanning the Chippewa-Kingshighway corridor, an area they're calling the Crown District.

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A couple of years ago, Ivan Garcia was doing some soul-searching when a question in a book struck him: “If you could do anything you wanted to do and had unlimited resources to do it, what would you do?”

For him, the answer was clear. A real estate professional by trade, Ivan had always dreamed of redeveloping the section of Kingshighway and Chippewa in South St. Louis that he called home. Curious how his brother and business partner, Berto Garcia, would answer, he posed the same questions and was stunned with his response. Unprompted and with no knowledge of Ivan’s answer, Berto said his dream was to do the exact same thing.

Now, the brothers are on their way to realizing that goal as they prepare to open the Golden Hoosier, a tavern-style, upscale-yet-approachable watering hole that's slated to be the flagship of their redevelopment project. The bar and restaurant promises to be a celebration of what makes St. Louis—and, in particular, the city's South Side—such a special place.

“We just want people to feel good, feel taken care of,” says Ivan. “There are a lot of dive bars around—and I love them—but this is for people who want quality experience but not necessarily fine dining. This neighborhood has always been working-class; the South Side was all brewery employees and never fancy. We wanted something that celebrates working people, good times, family, and all those things.”

The Garcia brothers have made their name in St. Louis as the force behind Garcia Properties, a real estate firm with a ubiquitous presence in the south part of the city. As Ivan explains, the brothers have always seen the potential in the Chippewa-Kingshighway corridor, and once they realized they were on the same page with their idea for the area, they began buying buildings in the area in hopes of executing on that vision. One of those spaces, the former Southtown Pub location, seemed like the perfect place to add a reimagined neighborhood bar. When they couldn’t find anyone whose vision met theirs, they decided to do it themselves.

According to Ivan, the Golden Hoosier is the anchor of a rebranding of the entire area. Working alongside the firm that was instrumental in rebranding The Grove, they have named the neighborhood the Crown District, hoping to make it a thriving commercial and restaurant center that rivals some of the region's other bustling neighborhoods, such as The Grove, South Grand, and the Delmar Loop.

The scale of their ambition drives the Golden Hoosier. The brothers put serious resources toward creating a gorgeous space that embraces the building’s vintage aesthetic. Dark walls, modern taxidermy, and antique light fixtures adorn the space, the crown jewel of which is the restored Art Deco–style bar. According to Ivan, that bar was the inspiration for the restaurant; having gone in one day to tear it out, he was so struck with its beauty and history that he could not bring himself to do so. As such, it’s become the focal point of the project.

In addition to the indoor space, the Golden Hoosier has a large outdoor area, outfitted in a whimsical, nostalgic state campground theme. Metal and wood picnic tables, an outdoor bar that props open to look like a vintage snack bar, and a circular stone fire pit add to the vibe.

The Garcias also brought in chef Colleen Clawson. As she explains, her vision came together quickly after speaking to the brothers and has coalesced into a menu that gets to the heart of the tone that the brothers are trying to set with the Golden Hoosier.

“Within a couple of weeks of starting to conceptualize and get the picture of what this place would become, the menu happened pretty immediately,” Clawson says. “It’s been augmented since then, but the bones of that have helped us stay in our direction and stay in our personality to express ideas about we are trying to be. This is an homage and celebration of the South Side, family, work—those are big jumping-off points. The menu offers what a tavern on the South Side needs to have, but we also want to be interesting, surprising, and celebrate that this culture is very much a melting pot. We’re taking things that maybe you grew up eating or your family made and reimagining them with lots of flavor.”

To that end, patrons can expect such dishes as a one-pound pork steak with homemade Maull’s-inspired barbecue sauce, served with beans and slaw. Clawson is also bringing back the tandoori wings from her popular pop-up restaurant, Babaxavi, as well as a “Superman Potato” inspired by the loaded spuds served at the corner markets in her North City neighborhood. She’s particularly excited about what the team believes will be the restaurant’s signature item, the Frenchie sandwich (pictured below). Inspired by a Portuguese classic, the sandwich is piled with andouille sausage, sirloin steak, and Bavarian ham.

Amanda Gaines, the Golden Hoosier’s general manager, leads the bar program. Balancing well-made cocktails with approachability, she has created a cocktail list and curated a range of spirits that get to the heart of the Garcias' mission. She promises a range of offerings that will appeal to all walks of life, as well as drinks that pair well with Clawson’s food.

Though the Golden Hoosier team has not yet announced an official opening date besides "early May," which could mean as early as this weekend. In the meantime, the Garcias encourage eager patrons to check the tavern’s social media pages to stay up to date.