The Annex Coffee and Foods now open in Webster Groves
For owners John Barr and Kelley Hall-Barr, the new gourmet foods-and-provisions market is part of a long-term vision for the Old Orchard neighborhood.
Photo by Cheryl Baehr
John Barr can’t help but have mixed emotions when he thinks about how he and his wife, Kelley Hall-Barr, finally got the opportunity to open The Annex Coffee and Foods.
Though the gourmet foods-and-provisions concept had always been their dream—even before the pair opened The Frisco Barroom in July 2018—they had to table the idea because they were just too busy. Now, along with all of the challenges, headaches and distress that the COVID-19 pandemic has brought into their working life, it’s also brought them the bandwidth they needed to finally move forward with The Annex. For the Barrs, it’s a mixed blessing.
Photo by Cheryl Baehr
“Originally, before we opened Frisco, we thought about the things we wanted to see on the street,” Barr explains. “We had this vision for a market and a bodega. Some of our favorite places in our life—whether it’s where we travel or in Kelley’s hometown in Michigan— are these corner markets. Those places have always been a draw for us and are so inspiring. But Frisco became so busy, we just couldn’t ever seem to catch up with it. It’s a good problem to have, but we just didn’t feel like we could stick something else on our kitchen team. Then, when COVID hit, we had the time and the workforce to do what we originally wanted to do. In some ways, the cards just laid themselves out.”
Photo by Cheryl Baehr
There’s no question that The Annex, the Barr’s new gourmet foods-and-provisions market that opened last week in the space adjacent to The Frisco Barroom in Webster Groves, is the right concept for these pandemic times. Part coffee bar, part grab-and-go prepared foods market and part grocery store, The Annex is meant to be a place where customers can pop in for a quick on-the-go bite or get everything they need to cook a gourmet meal at home with the family.
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Photo by Cheryl Baehr
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Photo by George Mahe
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Photo by Cheryl Baehr
For Barr, it represents a blending of the sit-down–focused The Frisco Barroom, something he describes as his focus, with Civil Alchemy, the modern general store where Hall-Bar devotes her energy.
“She is Civil Alchemy. I’m Frisco Barroom,” Barr says. “We merged the retail component of Civil Alchemy with the food component of Frisco, so this is really a combination of those two elements.”
Photo by Cheryl Baehr
Those two elements meet in a stunning space that benefits from both the building’s historic architecture and the couple’s eye for design. Wood shelves are lined with gourmet provisions. A white subway tile wall serves as the backdrop for the coffee bar.
Photo by Cheryl Baehr
And exposed brick make The Annex the sort of place you want to browse and linger, something Barr feels there is a need for, even as naysayers are quick to decry the decline of in-person retail.
“There is a certain nostalgia in historic districts like Webster Groves or the Loop or South Grand that cannot be re-created,” Barr says. “People spend their time lingering and shopping and want things like walkability and an experience. When you combine this with unique and interesting concepts, I think people want this. Coming out of the [pandemic], I think there will be this need for connectivity even more than ever, but even now, if done safely with the appropriate precautions recommended by health departments, people seem to need this.”
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Photo by Cheryl Baehr
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In addition to the retail side of the business, The Annex also serves as a deli–and–prepared foods spot for guests looking for a ready-made bite to eat. Barr credits his talented kitchen team at The Frisco Barroom for the wonderful array of dishes; all of the items, from house-made charcuterie and sandwiches (such as an Italian sub or banh mi) to quiches, tabbouleh salad, fresh-baked bread, and breakfast burritos, are made daily at Frisco.
Photo by Cheryl Baehr
These dishes can be enjoyed to go, at one of the tables in the back of the space, or on the patio. Barr is also proud of The Annex’s robust coffee program, which is a draw in and of itself.
Photo by Cheryl Baehr
For the Barrs, The Annex is part of a long-term vision for the area, one that they’ve been working toward since opening Civil Alchemy five years ago in the Old Orchard stretch of Webster Groves. With established businesses, such The Novel Neighbor, which Barr says has been “fighting the good fight” for years, to new ones coming into the neighborhood, such as Union Studio and Dharma & Dwell, he believes there is an atmosphere of authenticity and community connection that are attractive to customers—and will be for the long haul.
Photo by Cheryl Baehr
“We’re pretty optimistic on the other side of this,” Barr says. “We’re not judging ourselves by where we are next week or next month, because our vision is for years. We’re just thankful for those who are coming out to support us, because it is helping us to get there quicker and will allow people to see what we are really working toward.”
The Annex Coffee and Foods
8122 Big Bend, St Louis, Missouri 63119
Tue - Sun: 7 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Inexpensive
