Fitz's

This article is about the soda pop. For other uses, seeFitz (disambiguation).

Fitzs Root beer glass

Fitz's Bottling Companyis a regional soda brand in theSt. Louisarea. The flagship brand is itsroot beerpopularized by itsmicrobreweryandrestaurantinUniversity City, Missouri,on the historicDelmar Loop.

History

Fitz's was originally adrive-inhamburger stand located on Brentwood Blvd, in the St. Louis suburb ofRichmond Heights.The root beer was first produced in 1947 and sold alongside hamburgers and fries. Beverage production was discontinued when the original eatery shut down in 1976.But fifteen years later, the root beer was brought back in its original recipe. In the early 1990s, a new location in the Delmar Loop was purchased and vintage bottling equipment installed.

Beverage line

In addition toroot beer,Fitz's produces othersoft drinkflavors including diet root beer, voodoo (lemon-lime citrus)cream soda,diet cream soda, grape pop,orange pop,strawberry pop,ginger ale,hip hop pop (Raspberry Cola), and orange cream. The labels feature the locally familiar logo; its classic colors are red, white, and blue, but these colors change from one variety to the next to indicate and complement whatever flavor is in the bottle. The soda is made in the old-fashioned style of usingcane sugar(as opposed tohigh fructose corn syrup).

Fitz's has produced some flavors which have been discontinued. These include Dr. Fizz (similar to Dr. Pepper with hints of black cherry), Birch Beer, and Lemonade Pop.

Restaurant

The restaurant is designed in the 1950sart decostyle and painted in bold colors. The interior features bar, booth, and table seating, with a connected patio for outdoor dining. The two-story building was originally a bank, with the bottling equipment in the space where the vault was located.

Along with their full line of soft drink flavors, Fitz's offers classicAmerican-style cuisineas well as various shakes and malts. Children's meals are served in boxes designed to resemble 1950s cars, a throwback to the dining experience of the original Fitz's drive-in. Fitz's appeared inRachael Ray's Tasty Travels.

Expansion

From the late 1990s - 2000, Fitz's opened locations inChesterfield, MOandKansas City'sUnion Station- both included restaurants and bottling plants. Initially successful, both restaurants eventually closed due to lackluster sales. They also have opened a location in South County in 2019.

Notable Employees

• Joshua Finnell,2002–2003, Scholarly Communications Librarian at Los Alamos National Laboratory
• Tyler Dustin,2002–2004, Associate Creative Director at Intouch Solutions

See also

• IBC Root Beer,another St. Louis Root beer

External links

• Fitz's Root Beer official website