Business notebook: Owners ready to roll out the Barrel 131

Past the tables and the bar inside uptown Jackson's newest beer hall, Barrel 131, the rear of the building is lined with shelves that need only to be stocked with craft beers.

To that end, owners Ronnie Maxwell and Joe Hobbs have come to appreciate the occasional afternoon beer-tasting.

"Oh, yeah," Maxwell said, savoring a Kentucky-brewed lager. "That's fantastic."

They ended up talking with the sales representative about his trip over from Louisville as much as they did the beers.

But Maxwell said that's the purpose behind opening Barrel 131.

"The cool thing about this place is the camaraderie," he said. "It's not the drink; it's the story that comes out of the drinks."

The building itself -- at 131 S. High St., hence the name -- dates to the 1920s, Hobbs said, when it served for a time as a grocery.

But some elements post-renovation are even older.

"Feel how heavy that is," he said, swinging an unusually solid bathroom door on its hinges.

It and a few other doors in the building, plus a window, are re-purposed from Southeast Missouri State University's Academic Hall and date from 1904, Hobbs said.

The original tin ceiling is intact, and the wood that forms the bar is older still, with a story of its own.

"This is 130-year-old barn wood," Hobbs said, "from what they called the 'Old Red Barn' out by the old Patton junction."

Behind the bar, Barrel 131 will offer 16 beers on tap and bottled craft beers, wines and spirits.

Hobbs said it also will serve food such as panini sandwiches, flatbreads and heavy appetizers.

"A three-cheese grilled cheese," he said. "And then rum cream cake for dessert."

They're expecting to open the business, which they own with their wives, Michelle Hobbs and Jessica Maxwell, in early March, but haven't set a specific date.

Bartender Brandon Niederkorn said craft beer may be fun for some, and developing a taste for it can be fun in its own right, but he agreed with Maxwell's point about making it easier for people to come together.

"I usually think people come in pairs," he said. "It's about creating a moment for them, even if it's not long."

"This isn't a bar," Maxwell said. "This is a place you come to have a drink and socialize. Talk to people."

Arcade coming to Jackson

Casey and Jesse Stuart said their children were what inspired her to start an arcade in Jackson.

They have five.

"Almost a baseball team," Casey joked. "All our kids play sports. There's nothing really that's here besides sports to keep them busy.

"All I see is kids sitting around on park benches. I don't want to see my soon-to-be teenage daughter sitting around on park benches," she said.

The Powwow, she hopes, will offer area teens a place to have fun and play video games in an environment that's safe but where they don't feel like they're being "chaperoned."

The Powwow is at 507 E. Jackson Blvd., which once housed Hawaii Nails. It is scheduled for a soft opening Saturday.

"Our theory of it is that it's going to get the kids to socialize in a good environment," Jesse Stuart said.

Casey said she's spoken with officials at the Jackson School District and the Jackson Police Department to help ensure the space will remain respectable.

"I'm not going to tolerate anything like someone smoking cigarettes or something," she said. "I'll call your mom."

The space also will be available for rent in private parties.

Business licenses

• RFR Inc./RFRMCG LLC applied for a business license to operate a Golden Corral franchise at 130 Vantage Drive in Cape Girardeau. The buffet/grill opened Feb. 16.
• Kanaan Rhodes filed an application to license a hair salon business at 625 Broadway. The Room hair salon is listed as opening March 1.
• Vincere Sales & Marketing, d.b.a. Trail 9 Outdoors, applied for a business license for an e-commerce business that uses drop shipping from manufacturers and distributors. The site will specialize in UTV and truck accessories and outdoor goods.
• Heartland Pizza LLC applied for a license to start a restaurant at 1015 N. Kingshighway, which once housed a Pizza Hut. The new restaurant is listed as opening March 1.
• Christa R. Hudson applied for a business license for Girardot Macaron Company LLC, a home-based business specializing in baked goods.
• Steven C. Wilkinson filed an application to license Wilkinson Auto Repair, an on-site diagnostic and repair service.
• DGW Investment, D&G Properties of Paducah, Kentucky, purchased Sonic Drive-In at 262 Siemers Drive, according to a business license application.

tgraef@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3627