Fans say goodbye to this beloved Kansas City craft beer bar. New beer and pizza coming

When Bier Station opened its doors for the last time Saturday, Jason and Michelle Rohlf were there to say goodbye.

They had been among the first customers when the craft beer bar and bottle shop opened a decade ago and regular customers since.

“We love this place. It’s family-friendly and we could walk here,” she said. “It would be freezing cold and they would put on social that they were thinking of opening at 4 o’clock and 100 people would show up.”

Jason Rohlf praised the shop for supporting many neighborhood causes over the years, and said the staff was “outstanding.”

Within 30 minutes after its noon opening Saturday, the spot — on bustling Gregory Boulevard, the boundary between the Brookside and Waldo neighborhoods — had filled with other fans for the “kill the keg” closing event.

But founder John Couture was on a keg run after running out during Friday’s closing celebrations.

Couture opened Bier Station, at 120 E. Gregory, on Dec. 27, 2012. It quickly became a neighborhood favorite but also drew so-called beer nerds from across the region. It offered 36 beers and wines on tap, and hundreds of different styles to-go. Over the years it expanded, taking over a retail space next door and offering more menu items.

A couple of years ago, the owners of City Barrel Brewing Co. in the Crossroads approached Couture, saying they would be interested in taking over if he ever wanted to move on. They stayed in touch and then a few months ago Couture reached out to them after his successful Josh Hawley Fun Run fundraiser. The event mocked the Missouri Republican senator while raising funds for for progressive causes.

“We had done a lot of political and community events and that’s where my heart really lies,” he said Saturday. “I’m happy to do something I want to do and the neighborhood is going to benefit because City Barrel’s vision is a perfect fit for this area.”

“And I will be able to come in and work on my laptop and not worry about the cooler breaking down or the roof leaking.”

Customer Lindsey Day stopped by Saturday with her husband, Reid, and one-year-old daughter Lily. The Brookside residents were once a month regulars for the variety of beers and also non-alcoholic options Lindsey could opt for during her pregnancy.

Fans also left hundreds of comments on Bier Station’s Facebook page including:

▪ “Thanks for the great addition to the neighborhood for the last decade! Your location had been SO many different businesses over the years. It was great to see one that was an excellent fit for the area. Best wishes to you in your new career! CHEERS!”

▪ “Sigh. This is indeed bittersweet news. I’ve got happy and sad tears both leaking from my face right now. The team at Bier Station, the vibe, the neighborhood fit, the pure feeling that all belong is something most businesses can only wish to create. John and team actually did it! I remember walking in there 10 years ago, walking John back outside to the parking lot and showing him he could see our house and assuring him I’d be a vendor but a friend and supporter first. Snow days will never be the same. I’m not sure how to tell the kid, who, at age 2, used to ask me if we could go to Bier Station.”

▪ “Thank you for establishing a place that was so much more than good beer. It was truly a place for civic engagement. Keep fighting for the causes we all feel so passionate about.”

Along with the business, City Barrel’s owners, Joe Giammanco and James Stutsman, also purchased the 5,000-square-foot building from Couture. Bier Station has 3,000 square feet and a dental office has 2,000. It also has a parking lot and they will lease other parking spaces.

They plan to open City Barrel Pizza + Patio in the space next summer after a remodeling. They also will expand the patio area and will keep the second floor beer garden as a community space.

City Barrel Pizza + Patio will offer City Barrel beers and specialty cocktails, along with New York-style pizza, wings, sandwiches, salads and fries, along with specials such as Chicago-style and Sicilian-style pizzas. It plans to be open daily for lunch and dinner.

Giammanco lives nearby and the Rohlfs used to take their dogs to his Pooches Paradise Day Care & Resort in Waldo. He sold the business but five years later he can still rattle off their pets’ names — Reggie and Morty.

“I love the neighborhood. I fell in love with the energy of the neighborhood,” he said. “We want to make sure we keep the same (Bier Station) community spirit going. We hope it’s a really seamless transition.”