Fitz’s drive-in closed in 1970 when the owner retired. Their burgers and root beer became just a pleasant memory. Then, in 1985 the original Fitz’s root beer recipe was resurrected and St. Louisans once again could enjoy their favorite root beer in bottles.
In 1993 Fitz’s Restaurant opened in the Delmar Loop area of University City, a suburb of St. Louis. To assure authenticity, the call went out for a vintage bottling line. Incredibly, a 1940’s bottling line was found in an old barn in Shawano, Wisconsin. It was refurbished and installed at the restaurant, where it is visible from every table on the main floor. Fully operational, the bottling line can turn out a bottle every second….of root beer or other popular flavor, such as cream and orange.
The building that houses Fitz’s American Grill & Bottling Works was built in 1928, for the West End Bank. It became the Delmar Bank in 1933, and was remodeled in 1944 when the attractive art deco façade was added. For a while, during the 1980’s, it was a Chinese restaurant known as The Lantern House.
Today, Fitz’s American Grill & Bottling Works sits in the heart of the Delmar Loop, a ten-block section of distinctive stores, shops and even a renovated movie theater dating back to the 1930’s. One of the highlights of this area is the St. Louis Walk of Fame. Inaugurated in 1988, the Walk of Fame honors more than 100 men and women with plaques in the sidewalk over a 6 block area. These are St. Louisans who have made contributions to our culture in many different areas of endeavor. The honorees include Kevin Kline, Chuck Berry, Tina Turner, Tennessee Williams, Charles Lindbergh and Stan Musial.
www.fitzsrootbeer.com