The Case and Bucks restaurant and bar in Barnhart has a new owner.
Jeff Fitter, 51, of Imperial now owns the business, 7095 Metropolitan Blvd., as well as the Case and Bucks food truck, taking them over on Sept. 1.
Fitter already owned Super Smokers BBQ in Eureka and Super Smokers BBQ + Cajun in Affton, along with two food trucks.
He said part of the reason he wanted to buy Case and Bucks, which opened in 1992, was sentimental.
“My wife (Michelle Fitter) and I have been going there since 1993,” he said. “Way back in the day, my best friend lived (nearby) in the Village (of Jefferson). My grandma lived in Parkton. I’ve been running around here my entire life.”
Fitter, who grew up in Otto and attended both Windsor and Fox high schools, said purchasing a business in the area just made sense to him.
“It is like a high school reunion every single day. It’s fantastic,” Fitter said. “I’ve seen people I haven’t seen in 30 years at the restaurant. It’s been great.”
He said he also knew the previous owner, Dave Baer, who wanted to sell.
Baer had been using the name C&B Grub and Pub, but Fitter said he is using the old name, Case and Bucks.
He also said he plans to make just minor adjustments at the restaurant.
“It’s always been Case and Bucks and it will always be Case and Bucks,” he said. “The previous owner, Dave, did a wonderful job of remodeling the place and making it all non-smoking. We are obviously carrying that forward.”
Fitter said the menu will see some changes, though.
“There were like 58 appetizers and we have narrowed that list down to about 25,” he said.
“The famous Case and Bucks (chicken wing) sauce is obviously still on the menu, but we are also making our buffalo barbecue sauce and our Tennessee sauce, which is like a sticky Nashville hot kind of sauce.”
Fitter said the restaurant’s pizzas now come standard with Provel cheese, but people may upgrade to a mix of mozzarella and provolone.
Fitter said the restaurant will offer a special every day, like steak night on Saturdays.
“We are going to incorporate Cajun country on Wednesday. We will have a different Cajun entree or item available for the Wednesday special,” he said.
Fitter said the Case and Bucks food truck is available for catering and will make appearances at public events.
He said Case and Bucks currently has 44 employees and he is looking to hire about four to six more.
Fitter served about six months on the Arnold City Council after he was appointed in November 2011 to fill a vacancy after Jim Edwards died.
Fitter also served on other Arnold city boards.
