Bourbon + smokehouse step closer to opening after city approves building plans

Mary Jane bourbon + smokehouse is a big step closer to opening: Cape Girardeau city staff recently approved building plans for the 1107 Broadway structure.

Owner Carisa Stark said the restaurant could open in spring 2019.

She�d hoped to be open before the end of 2018, she said, but that didn�t work out.

Stark said the next step is to get the building ready � a new roof, and improvements to HVAC, plumbing and electrical systems are in order.

But then, the fun begins.

�Bourbon is definitely going to be our focus,� Stark said of the Cape Girardeau restaurant.

Stark won�t duplicate her Perryville, Missouri, restaurant, Mary Jane Burgers & Brew, which offers burgers and craft beers.

The Cape Girardeau restaurant will have smoked meats, and plenty of bourbon, whiskey and more, Stark said.

The bar manager will be Danny Stewart, who has been with Stark as service manager for several years, Stark said.

�He is super passionate about bourbon,� she said, adding they went to Louisville, Kentucky, for the Bourbon Trail � both for the experience and for networking, she said.

Another trip is planned for mid-January, she said.

�We�ll be putting on our social media what we have up our sleeve,� Stark said.

�We want to have an amazing varietal of all bourbons and whiskeys and scotches,� Stark continued.

Not only will bourbon be central to the restaurant�s menu, it will be central to the restaurant itself, Stark said. Part of the second floor has been cut out and the back bar will go all the way to the second-floor ceiling.

Developer Quinn Strong will build �a work of art,� Stark said, calling it �the most amazing bar setup I�ve ever seen.�

Stark said she has collected pulleys, different ironworks and wood to give the interior a distinctive look: industrial, but not cliche.

As to the ambiance, Stark said, she�s going for the same vibe but a different look at the Cape Girardeau restaurant.

�At Burgers & Brew, the ambiance is so much of my personality,� Stark said. �Jackson Street Brew Co., it�s also so much my personality, but includes my travels, the Pacific Northwest,� she said about another restaurant she owns in Perryville.

But, she added, �I don�t believe in duplicating any of that.�

And, she said, she�s excited to join the downtown scene in Cape Girardeau.

�I used to work in Cape Girardeau, at the Royal N�Orleans, and I�ve always loved the downtown area,� Stark said, adding she is deeply impressed with revitalization group Old Town Cape�s work, and the work of so many entrepreneurs.

For her part, Stark is aiming for locally-sourced produce when available, and partnerships with local farms.

Executive chef Matt Ruesler is working on �a phenomenal menu,� Stark said.

On the bourbon + smokehouse Facebook page, items ranging from brined pork chops to barbecue sushi have been featured, and Stark said that�s just the beginning.

And then there�s the sides, Stark said.

�I love those. We�ll have a big selection,� Stark said.

Certain sides will be paired with entrees, she said, but more will be available.

The food will be rustic and wholesome, she said, and the restaurant�s approach will change between lunch and dinner hours.

During lunchtime hours, until 4 p.m., the emphasis will be on quick service, she said.

�It will be fast casual during the day,� Stark said. �We understand the need for people to get in and out quickly at lunchtime. We all have busy lives.�

But then, at 4 p.m., the lights will dim, the music volume will rise, and the restaurant will go full service, Stark said.

And that�s where the �waiting room� comes in.

Earlier this month, Stark announced she�d bought a �party bus� to park next to the restaurant � it�s a yellow school bus, and will be fully outfitted to give people a place to wait outside the restaurant.

At Mary Jane in Perryville, she said, people can wait on benches outside, or stroll around the square while they wait for a table.

But there aren�t benches at the Cape Girardeau restaurant, and, Stark said �the building is so awesome, we want to utilize every single square inch we can for seating for our guests,� so, the waiting room was born.

There will be a bar inside and music, Stark said.

�I don�t think people are going to want to leave,� she said, laughing. �It�s going to be a lot of fun.�

Stark said she�s excited about the events she and her staff are already planning.

�We�ll have bourbon dinners, bourbon tastings,� she said. �We�ll also have a bourbon club, Kings of Bourbon, that we�re working on right now.�

People won�t come in just because they�re hungry, she said, �they�ll be here because they�re having some new experience that they haven�t before been able to have.�

mniederkorn@semissourian.com

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