Bringing people together
There’s nothing like walking into a business and feeling instantly comfortable. You feel like you belong and have always belonged. Those familiar lyrics from the theme song of the classic television show Cheers come to mind: “Sometimes you wanna go where everybody knows your name, And they’re always glad you came.” St. Nicholas Brewing Company in Du Quoin wants to be that comfort zone for all customers.
“St. Nicholas Brewing Company is a place for people to gather. So, whether you’re here to drink craft beer, eat craft food, ride your bike in, we just want to bring people together,” said Abby Ancell, Managing Partner of St. Nicholas Brewing Company.
The main location of the brewery is in the former home of the historic St. Nicholas Hotel. The spot also attributes its namesake to St. Nicholas, patron saint of children and patron saint of brewers.
“We consider ourselves a retailer because we sell craft beer, and you can’t find St. Nicholas Brewing Company craft beer anywhere else,” said Abby.
The decision to open the brewery was driven by a lack of quality craft beer options in the region, noted Abby, who said you could not find many options for craft beer in Southern Illinois ten years ago.
The local community has embraced St. Nicholas Brewing Company, viewing it as a revitalization of Du Quoin’s main street.
“I think our small town has embraced us because we have given them something that they want,” said Abby. “We’ve listened to them and we’ve worked and grown with them. We have invested in this building that otherwise, this landmark of Du Quoin, would have been torn down. You know, you never would have seen or heard about it again, but we invested in it. We saw potential in it. So, we put hard work into it, and then we essentially put out a really good product and that’s the most important thing. Our community really stands behind us on that.”
A rich history
The building that houses St. Nicholas Brewing Company dates back to the early 1800s, when it stood as a hotel to serve people traveling by train.
“It’s a huge piece of Du Quoin history,” said Abby. “Everyone in our town has a memory of this building. Whether their dad drank here after working the coal mines, or they came here to have a family get together when it was a functioning hotel. It’s been everything from a hotel, which was its original purpose when they were building the railroad. Over the years, the building has seen many uses, including a brothel. It’s been a hair salon, a bar and restaurant. Probably a bar and restaurant more so than anything else.”
By the time Abby’s stepfather purchased the building for $777, it had fallen into disrepair, and a demolition of the building loomed as a genuine possibility.
“My stepdad could not bear to see it get torn down, which is the next step that was gonna happen,” explained Abby. “So, he bought it, and his vision was for it to be a place for all of us to ride our bikes together. We’re all real cyclists, all of the partners that are family and friends, we’re cyclists. So, we wanted to have a place where we could ride our bikes to, get a delicious pizza, and drink some good craft beer.”
The decision for Abby to take over management of the business came somewhat unexpectedly, she noted. After attending college at Southern Illinois University, Abby was living with friends in Chicago. She said she always had ambitions of owning her own business, but it was a visit from her stepfather that changed her life.
“My stepdad came (to Chicago) while he was up on business and we had some dinner, and drinks,” said Abby with a smile recalling this story. “He said, ‘Hey, look, I bought the St. Nicholas Hotel. I really think that a pub would do great in Du Quoin.’ This was in 2009 – quite a few years ago before craft beer really hit the scene all over the country. He said, ‘We can ride our bikes there. We can eat good food. We can drink a beer and you can be in charge of it. You’d be great at that, don’t you think?’ After a few more drinks, it sounded better and better. He had convinced me to change plans, move back to southern Illinois, and start working on a business plan. By the end of the night after a few drinks, I decided to leave Chicago and head back home to Du Quoin.”
Where everyone wants to meet
The signature offerings at St. Nicholas Brewing Company are their wide selection of IPAs and craft beers, all brewed on site.
“My favorite kind of beer is an IPA and here’s something unique that we’ve done with our beer: we make a lot of fruit beers, which has been super popular with our community and our region,” explained Abby. “We’ve really been successful in getting a lot of women to try the beers. Our blood orange pale ale is one of the best I’ve ever had.”
The business has experienced steady, strategic growth. In addition to the Du Quoin location, St. Nicholas Brewing Company has two other outposts. There is one in Chester, Illinois, and another at the Southern Illinois Airport, which is the only active brewery in a general aviation facility in the country according to Abby.
“We grew at a reasonable rate,” said Abby. “You know, it all just happened really organically. Never did we think we would open two spots within three years of each other. But it just happened organically and it continued to happen organically.”
Delicious craft beer is not the only item on the menu at St. Nicholas Brewery Company. The food menu is equally robust.
“We are making almost everything that we can from scratch,” Abby explained. “We’re using local bakeries. So, when you put all those pieces together, it makes for a really good burger or sandwich.”
The pub serves up a variety of delicious food including burgers, chops, wings, soft pretzel sticks, and creamy spinach and artichoke dip.
Another common thread that unites the three St. Nicholas Brewing Company locations is the focus on cycling culture. The brewery attracts many cyclists, including those riding the Trans-American route which passes through the area.
“There’s a consistent biking theme at all three of our locations because all of the partners, which are also our board of directors,” explained Abby. “We are family and friends, and our vision was born on a bike ride. We’re all cyclists. We wanna support cycling culture in southern Illinois.”
“Hospitality is super, super important to the St. Nick culture and what we stand for. We want to make sure that it’s a spot for everyone to come to. We’ve been able to recreate that at all three locations,” said Abby.
“Being able to walk in and folks know your name, remember you from the last time you were here, know what kind of beer you like to drink is key. It’s great when you’re able to sit down at the bar and sit next to our head brew master, who’s been our brewer since the very beginning when we opened 10 years ago.”
Advice from the bar
Abby is all about small business success, and she encourages others to follow their dreams.
“If I could give advice to someone starting in retail, I would say start small,” advised Abby. “Really learn what your customer base is, what people want, and then grow from there. Because you can’t be everything to everyone, but you definitely want to reach the people that are gonna support your product.”
“What I want people to know about life in retail in Illinois is that there’s always gonna be ups and downs,” added Abby. “But as long as you’re putting out a product that you believe in and you’re putting in the work, you’re being there to talk to people about it, most likely you’re gonna gain the support of people that want to buy your product. Not only are we producing something, but we’re selling something as well. So, I think it helps make that connection whenever people come here.”
“Anyone can open up a store and sell something,” added Abby. “But when you believe in it, and it makes people feel good and they want to come back for more and they tell you about it, that’s really where our passion and our spark comes from.”
