A bar has opened inside the Quality Inn, 1200 W. Gannon Drive, in Festus.
The bar, called the Quality Lounge, is open to hotel guests, as well as to the general public.
Kevin Wright, the owner, said today (Jan. 30) that he quietly opened the bar in the hotel’s atrium a couple weeks ago.
“It’s a full-service lounge with appetizers,” said Wright, 38, of De Soto. “Right now, just pizza. Eventually, we’ll branch out with appetizers.”
While the Quality Lounge is tucked into a corner of the atrium, which is often used for banquets and other events, Wright said the bar can accommodate large crowds.
He said the large room was an enticement for him to open the bar in the hotel.
“I like the space,” Wright said. “Hopefully, we’ll open it for comedy shows with a stage area. There’s a dance floor. We can have music.”
Wright previously owned the Hwy. 67 Bar & Grill south of Festus.
Rhonda Uding, general manager of the Quality Inn, said the hotel contacted Wright about the possibility of opening the bar inside the hotel as a separate business.
“We approached Kevin,” she said. “He has a background in the bar industry. With this hotel under new ownership (since 2016), we’ve discussed ways to increase awareness of the property. We brought our ideas to Kevin and he was able to meet the criteria we set.”
Uding also stressed that the Quality Lounge is for anyone, not merely hotel guests.
“One thing we looked at was we would be the only hotel (in the area) that offers a lounge for guests and local patrons,” Uding said.
The hotel has long had the bar area in the atrium, but Uding said she and other staff members are not sure if it ever was used, except for during banquets and other events held there.
Wright said he plans to add some fun items to the bar area.
“We’re getting a jukebox, a dart board and a Golden Tee video golf game,” he said.
Operating hours for the Quality Lounge are 5 p.m. to midnight Monday through Thursday; 5 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. Friday and Saturday; and varying hours on Sundays.
“(Sunday hours) vary depending on game times,” Uding said. “It could be open in the afternoon or evening on Sundays, depending on (sports event times).”
Wright said he is operating the lounge with a staff of five and “may add more.”
The Festus City Council approved a liquor license for the Quality Inn at a November 2018 meeting.
