Dannie’s Sports Tavern Offers Fun, Family Atmosphere Downtown

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By MARK EVANS

Ste. Genevieve herald

Dannie’s  opened at the corner of Merchant and Third over Jour de Fete weekend.

New owner Brock Gibson has totally redone the historic corner building.

“We’re remodeling the entire building,” Gibson said, “every room, every wall on the interior, exterior. It’s really going to look almost new when we’re done It’s an important building in town to have looking like that.”

The building was the long-time home to The Sandbar. It continued to operate there after Gibson bought the building in September 2022. When the operators informed him they would close in June 2023, Gibson said that forced his hand to undertake the massive building restoration.

The new sports bar is more family-friendly, and includes a game room in back.

“There’s a bunch of games in the back room,” Gibson said. “We’re going to get some more stuff, but the game room is up and running.”

He has been pleased with the reception the Dannie’s has received.

“The bar’s been great,” he said. “We’re only open four days a week right now, Thursday through Sunday, but we’ve got steady regulars and a lot of visitors and tourists coming in. A lot of other businesses have been very nice about sending people to us now that they know we’re the only place that has draft beer after nine o’clock.”

In time, it will include food, “a very simple menu of burgers, fries and wings,” Gibson indicated. However, getting the kitchen up and running has “taking a little longer than we’d expected it too, what with he Beacon,” he said. “But we’re refocused on the kitchen now. We’ll have the kitchen open, I’m hoping by the end of the year.”

He said the tuck-pointing is nearly done on the 1890s brick corner building. Work is about to begin on the windows and the crown, as well as other exterior work.

Gibson said work has not yet started on the upstairs apartments.

“We’re going to be replacing the floors above the bar, so we’ll probably need to do it Mondays through Wednesdays,” he said.

Don’t be calling Gibson about renting one, though. He said he does not plan to rent out the two apartments out. Instead, they will be used for overnight guests and other business-related needs.