Outside the office: Patrick Koetting enjoys an eclectic blend of music, wine and cycling

Patrick Koetting was taught to work hard and to play hard. Born and raised in Sainte Genevieve, Missouri, a fifth-generation grocer and the oldest of three boys, he spent a lot of time at the family store, Koetting’s Foodway.

Before school, he would wake early to ride in and open the store with his dad, and after school he would return to unload equipment, work on homework, or complete whatever task needed to be done. And while there wasn’t a lot of free time in a family business, Koetting learned the importance of enjoying hobbies outside of work — everything from playing sports, to rooting for his favorite teams, to riding bikes and playing rock and roll.

“My dad was a keyboardist and a professional musician,” says Koetting, who focused on guitar. “He said, ‘If you want to work [in music] play bass. No one wants that job.’”

Koetting took his dad’s advice and played bass guitar with a band throughout high school and his days at Southeast Missouri State University. The band recorded an album and Koetting even moved to St. Louis for a bit, but he always kept one foot in Cape Girardeau. Music was important, but Koetting didn’t see himself making it big.

“Anyone in music is going to have a day job,” says Koetting, who currently plays music for Old Cape Road, a band out of Cape Girardeau, but works full-time for Restor Co.

Restor Co is a home restoration company out of Sikeston, and Koetting is part of the operations team. Between assessing roof damage, dealing with sewer water, and acquiring property to flip, Koetting loves that the day-to-day tasks are different. But it’s not the only work he does.

Koetting, having a natural appreciation for food and beverage, has spent many years working in restaurants, hospitality and learning the spirits industry. He’s partnered with chefs throughout Southeast Missouri to help guide menus, train staff and create systems. Most recently, he’s consulted for Many Good Things Brewing Co. and Yuzu, a Japanese restaurant located in Scout Hall.

“I’ve been surrounded by some really talented people,” says Koetting. “And I feel fortunate to eat amazing food and develop taste memories to pair food with wine. There’s an intentional food and beverage industry in this town. I want to see this area succeed, and for each [business or restaurant] to be better than when I found it.”

For Koetting, who loves what he does, it’s often hard to see where work ends, and his hobbies begin. He just wants to make people happy; to share good food and good drink. It’s the reason he hosts a monthly club for both whiskey and wine. At times, they take a deep dive into the origin or history of the beverage, other times they sample and learn about the process. No matter what the theme or topic, the meal and drink are expertly paired.

Outside of food and drink, many of the hobbies Koetting enjoyed as a kid, have evolved into hobbies he can enjoy as an adult. Like cycling.

Koetting rides for exercise, for competition, and sometimes just for fun. On a good week, he can rack up 200 miles between his two custom-built gravel adventure bikes. And when he’s feeling frisky, he jumps into a game of bike polo — a 3v3 competitive sport, with players on bikes instead of horses.

Much of his life is spent on the go, and his calendar fills up quickly. It’s not uncommon for Koetting to be up until midnight playing music and go out to ride his bike at 4 a.m. He tries to squeeze as much life out of the day as possible.

“My youngest brother, Tim, died from a blood disorder when he was 19,” says Koetting, who was 26 at the time. “Everyone processes grief differently, but I probably internalized it. So much of what I do, I do for him and [to honor] his life.”

Koetting attributes his learned work ethic to his dad and grandfather. But he enjoys the hobbies because each one fills different buckets in his life. Playing music fills his creative bucket, but pairing wine with food is art. His love of cycling fills his need to be physically active. And the common denominator for all of them is hospitality and connection.

“I don’t care if it’s a Tuesday night box wine or a bottle that costs $1,000,” says Koetting. “It’s about the experience and community. I love sharing what I know and learning from others. At the end of my life, I want a collection of stories.”