North End tavern under new ownership

By Jazmine Knight

One local tavern is ready to continue its 125-year legacy with some new owners.

Russell Book and Melissa Winn have taken the helm at the Brown Bear, 2028 St Joseph Ave.

It all started with Winn’s husband BJ. BJ’s dad owned the tavern many years ago and it has always been a big part of their lives.

“My kids were little, they were here when we would be here in the mornings, they would be in their car seats so we could clean and do things,” Winn said. “Now they’re older and I make them go to work back here.”

With Book being a Lafayette graduate, the two decided on a whim to become the bar’s new owners. Book describes times in the past when they joked about buying the tavern because of all the great memories they had from previous events. But all that changed a few months ago when Book received the call.

“(Winn) calls me and she’s like, ‘Hey, that’s reality.’ And I go, ‘Wow, maybe. Maybe we ought to do this.’ And we did it. And I think it’s going to go well,” Book said.

The new owners want Brown Bear Tavern to remain a staple for the North End. Win says at the tavern they love turning on Missouri Tigers games on Saturdays and packing the house for sports.

“We eventually hope to get a little bit of food going on down here and we just want to have good people having good times with us,” Winn said.

According to Book, the bar’s long 125-year legacy can be attributed to good people who continue to come back. His goal is to keep that legacy going while implementing new ideas and staying true to the Brown Bear brand.

“Hopefully this is what not only brings people back but this is what people will remember,” he said.

Both Winn and Book previously worked at Lafayette High School as well, They say Northsiders are always willing to lend a helping hand.

“We know their families. We know their kids,” Winn said.

But they don’t discourage residents from all across St. Joseph from visiting the tavern. For Winn and Book, their favorite part about ownership so far is seeing amazing people come back and have fun.

“We did a happy hour special last weekend and I tell you, there were so many people in here last Friday … some that we hadn’t seen forever, and it was just a good vibe,” Winn said.

One of the new ideas Book and Winn are bringing to the table is shifting the Brown Bear into more of a sports bar. And with sports betting on the upcoming Missouri ballot, Book is pretty proud of their new ticker and TVs that aim to enhance the guest experience.

“We’ll have MU on TVs, but you’ll be updating over here (with) Tennessee and Florida,” he said. “It’s one of probably five or six add-on things that we hope attracts people.”

The Brown Bear Tavern will have a grand opening with the new owners on Saturday, Nov. 9. In the near future, they plan on hosting events such as a Halloween party, the 60th Bobcat Birthday Bash, Thanksgiving Eve and more. For more details, follow Brown Bear Tavern on Facebook.