In St. Charles’ Frenchtown district, a restored 1940s Texaco station serves as the focal point of a new food truck park and bar named Bench Racers (1801 N. 2nd). The dog friendly, family-owned community gathering place debuted in March and hosted its grand opening in early June. Here’s what to know before you go.
The Concept
Husband-and-wife duo Andy Stark and Stephanie Lai reside in St. Charles and originally purchased the nearly three-quarters of an acre plot near the Katy Trail as an investment property in late 2023.
“When we started getting into the history, we realized it was an old Texaco,” Stark recalls. “Both Stephanie and I are car people and decided to renovate the station and dedicate it to our dogs we’ve traveled the world with.”
As part of the meticulous rehab, the couple proceeded to develop the attached green space into a food truck park for their neighbors and four-legged best friends to enjoy.
The concept gets its name from bench racing, a time-honored tradition centered around the workbench where racers swap stories from the road. Inside the restored gas station, guests will find a pit stop to converse over Sugarfire Smoke House sandwiches, beverages, and a collection of automotive-themed artifacts.
The Food
When Stark and Lai learned that they’d have to serve a food item to meet the building’s liquor license code, they knew that Sugarfire Smoke House, which they regularly patronized, would be great partners for their endeavor. At the Bench Racers bar, visitors will find one food item on offer: Sugarfire’s pulled-pork sandwiches, available in a combo with a bag of chips.
Outside, a rotating roster of three to five food trucks at a time occupies the landing pad, including permanent resident Los Cuñados Street Tacos, based out of O’Fallon, Missouri. “There are a lot of great Mexican restaurants in the area and I would put them up against any of them–their food is really top notch,” Stark says. Additional offerings from the list of vendors include everything from Indian and Chinese fare to mushroom- and cheesesteak-centric vendors.
Canned and bottled drink options from the bar offer something for the whole family, from Anheuser-Busch, Miller, and Good News Brewing beers to affordably priced water, sodas, and juices. The bar currently specializes in one cocktail option: a classic margarita from Los Cuñados, made with a family recipe.
The Atmosphere
“When we bought the building, it was pretty rough. All of the windows were boarded up, the roof was in pretty bad shape, and the southern wall was collapsing,” Stark recalls. He and Lai did as much by hand as possible, enlisting the aid of skilled area contractors while working with the local landmarks board to validate the 1,600-square-foot building’s restoration back to its original condition. (New bathrooms were also added to match the style of the building.)
“We just learned as we went. My wife, my mom-in-law, Angela, and our two dogs were down here every night for two years working on it,” Stark says. “It was very much a family project and an amazing bonding experience that was so much fun.”
Through their diligent efforts, they can now share the space with others. Stark invites guests to unplug, socialize, and enjoy the local food and live entertainment. Special programming will include movie and sports screenings, concerts, dog adoption events, vintage markets, trivia nights, car club meetings, and special events for holidays.
“The hope is people come down and spend more time hanging out with their friends and families than hanging out on their phones,” Stark says. “If they’re fortunate enough, hot rods will stop by.”
In front of the station, by vintage gas pumps, visitors can admire Stark and Lai’s eye-catching red 1972 Triumph GT6 and white 2015 Mustang GT. Across the interior of the building’s green-and-white painted walls, a mini museum of antique signs and photos—many of which were donated by local community members—offer a peek into area residents’ enthusiasm for car culture. The structure, erected in 1939, was owned by Moore Oil Company, which was a Texaco dealer in St. Charles since 1932; in more recent years, it became a series of auto shops and later an artist’s studio.
“It’s really cool how the community has shown up to help us put this centerpiece together,” Stark says. “There’s so much there, between all the pictures telling a bit of the story about the building and the racing community. The Texaco history kind of pulls it together as a vibe that gels. For us personally, it’s the little easter eggs of our dogs on every wall that hits close to the heart.”
The Backstory
Stark and Lai—who come from backgrounds in aircraft and marketing industries, respectively—dedicated the project to their late canine companions, miniature poodles named Lisa and Homer. (The former is depicted as the smiling mascot in the center of the Bench Racer’s logo.) The duo operate the homegrown business together alongside their pups Sophie and Hobie. They’ve lovingly created Bench Racers as a sanctuary for families and their dogs to spend time together.
“Our tagline is that we just want people to come, sit, and stay awhile. We want people to hang out, chat, enjoy the building, and see a little bit of automotive history,” Stark says. “There’s nothing cooler than an old vintage gas station in good shape. It’s a piece of Americana that’s quickly disappearing. We have the honor to preserve it and St. Charles Speedway memorabilia—and we get to bring our dogs to work every day.”
Bench Racers
📍 1801 N. 2nd, St. Charles
📞 636-493-0018
⏰11 a.m.-9 p.m. Mon-Sun
🚚 Trucks: Mon – Sun
🍻 Bar: Wed-Fri 5 – 9 | Sat-Sun 12 – 9
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