Those who like cornhole will soon have a place to go in Jefferson County to play the popular game.
Cornhole Central was expected to open today, Nov. 6, at 36 Gannon Square in Pevely, said one of the owners, Tommie Picha of Imperial.
His wife, Jackie, and another couple, Jason and Melissa Pennycook of Barnhart, are the other owners.
Tommie Picha, who has served as the American Cornhole League regional director of St. Louis for three years, said it will be the first business of its kind in the St. Louis area.
“The closest one would be in Kansas City,” he said.
The 6,000-square-foot facility will offer 10 cornhole courts, with occupancy for up to 233 people, Picha said.
He said Cornhole Central will operate much like a bowling alley, offering both league and open play.
“We’re going to host nightly leagues, from backyard beginners to advanced pro players,” Picha said. “We’ll also host nightly tournaments, as well – blind draws, which are randomized tournaments.”
Cornhole calls for players to toss corn- or resin-filled cloth bags at a board. Points are awarded for bags that go through a hole in the board or for bags that stay on the board’s surface.
Picha said Cornhole Central’s hours are tentatively set for 3 p.m. to midnight Mondays through Fridays and 8 a.m. to midnight Saturdays and Sundays.
“We’ll host fundraisers,” he said. “There will be American Cornhole League regional events. You might have seen the American Cornhole League on ESPN and CBS.
“We will book out for private events, like birthday parties. We’ll do weekend tournaments, as well. We will offer afternoon and nightly (court) rentals.”
The hourly rental rate for a court is $10 for an individual player and $20 for up to four people.
“We will offer monthly memberships for $29.95 to $39.95, depending on the package you buy,” Picha said.
People will be able to watch the facility’s cornhole play online, he said.
“We will livestream the games seven days a week on Facebook, YouTube and other social media,” he said.
People who tune in could see some top-level players, Picha added.
“I am not a pro, but we do have four pros in the St. Louis area,” he said.
Cornhole Central will serve adult beverages, soft drinks and limited snacks.
“We’ll have a full-service bar,” Picha said. “We’ll have a little bit of a food selection – pizza, hot dogs, pretzels.”
The facility will have 10 staff members.
“We do have a staff of six on top of the four of us,” Picha said. “We’ve already hired the staff.”
Picha said he and his wife have operated a travel cornhole business, Bullie Bags, for three years, and were interested in opening the cornhole facility.
“We’re still going to have the travel business,” he said. “Bullie Bags hosts fundraiser tournaments and leagues.
“We would get calls and they would ask if we knew of a venue for a cornhole event. We decided to open our own.”
To book courts or for more information, go to Cornhole Central’s website at cornholecentralstl.com or visit the Cornhole Central STL Facebook page.
Pevely City Administrator Andy Hixson said city officials are happy to have the business open in town.
“They have already been amazing community partners and we wish them the best!”
