Effingham Native Announces Plans for Metro East Development

The Hofbräuhaus St. Louis – Belleville will officially be open to the public late January 2018.

Located across IL-15 from the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows in Belleville, IL, the Hofbräuhaus will be the eighth in America, and the largest built to date. Visitors will find a wide offering of traditional Bavarian cuisine, authentic German beer brewed on-site and live entertainment seven days a week. The brewpub will be one of the largest single-concept restaurants in the area with seating for over 1,100 patrons at a time between the beer hall, private room and outdoor beer garden. 

“I’m thrilled to finally announce our opening timeline” says Effingham native Chane F. Keller, Vice President, Oak Tree Management Services. “There’s a lot of excitement around this project and we’re working tirelessly to ensure the opening is flawless. The contractors have done a great job taking what was once a rolling corn field and building this restaurant which will be the cornerstone of the biggest hospitality district in the Metro-East.”

Progress has occurred rapidly since the beginning of summer.

• Construction on the 30,000 square-foot restaurant has been completed. 
• Installation of the brewery plant is nearly complete. The installation is managed by a team from SALM – an Austrian company which constructs some of the world’s most advanced, high-tech breweries. 
• Infrastructure including the roads and parking lots on-site is substantially complete.

Installation of kitchen equipment is underway as well as the installation of hardwood flooring, wood paneling and furniture from Historic Timber and Plank in Brighton, IL. The last large item to be installed will be a state of the art beverage distribution system from German manufacturer Gruber. This system will distribute beer, liquor and soda throughout the facility and is one of only three in the United States. This final installation is set to take place mid-January and will be the last step in the process before Hofbräuhaus St. Louis – Belleville will be operational.

The Hofbräuhaus is the first of many businesses planned for the site. Construction for a convention center and Belleville’s first new hotel in over 50 years are slated to start in spring of 2018. There are also plans for a Jack Flash gas station, other restaurants and much more at this location.