The owners and location are the same, but Silver Creek in Belleville will be something more

I have great news for those who lament the June closure of Silver Creek Saloon & Grill in Belleville.

Three of Silver Creek’s original owners, Ryan Loeffler, Jon Vieluf and Jeff Butzinger, hope to reopen the doors this month at 2520 Mascoutah Ave.

But it won’t be the Silver Creek of yesterday.

When Silver Creek Saloon & Grill closed after 12 years, Loeffler said they had multiple options for moving forward. Walking away was not one of them.

“We’re not done with this place yet,” said Loeffler.

Instead, the three partners took advantage of the time since closing and came up with some exciting new ideas to make everything better than ever.

Silver Creek Saloon & Grill will become a multi-faceted type of place, consisting of multiple business concepts, according to Loeffler.

Silver Creek Sports & Social

The first part of the business lies within the 7,000-square-foot building.

Silver Creek Sports & Social (The guys still love the name “Silver Creek” and didn’t want to abandon it.) is categorized on its brand new Facebook page as a restaurant.

But it’s so much more.

The state of the place during my visit was … well, it was a bit chaotic. The whole space is currently under construction – all cosmetic changes, according to Vieluf. The restaurant will be bigger than before and fully furnished.

As for food, there will be plenty to choose from. The menu is still a work in progress, but folks can expect wings, smash burgers and pizza.

“We’re jumping in the pizza game,” said Loeffler.

Butzinger, who will run the day-to-day operations with his wife Christy, also works in construction. He redesigned the kitchen, which includes two new pizza ovens.

Folks can look forward to a selection of 16-inch pizzas with 8-10 custom pizzas (Loeffler threw out pineapple and jalapeño - my current fave) and a build-your-own option. All pizzas will be made to order.

The guys also mentioned that there will be a salad bar, daily specials and specialty nights for steak, fish, tacos, and maybe pizza specials.

A salute to Scott AFB

The former Silver Creek Linebacker Room – the main private event space – will become “The Bunker Room.”

The new name is a nod to the military personnel at Scott Air Force Base. The wall around the entrance will be wrapped with a patriotic design.

When Silver Creek closed, more than 130 private events were already on the books, some a year or two in advance. Loeffler said these kinds of events made up the biggest part of the business.

He also said they will begin booking events again the first week of October, starting with calling those whose bookings were canceled when Silver Creek closed.

Self-serve beer and moonshine

The main dining room and bar area will include the addition of a self-serve beer wall (yay!). Thirty-three such taps will be available – 21 of them inside, 12 of them in the patio area. Options will rotate and include seasonal beers as well as a few mixed drinks.

Loeffler said they’ll partner with the local breweries/distilleries and distributors and “definitely have a lot of variety here.”

Silver Creek Sports & Social will include the addition of big TVs to show baseball, hockey, football and soccer (Go St. Louis City!) games as well as UFC fights.

There will be large TVs inside and out. The plan is to have 20 75-inch flat screens, two 10 x 10-foot projection screens, and a huge video wall (which they are still looking for).

The stage area will remain and feature live bands and DJs for customers’ listening and dancing pleasure.

There will also be a private gaming room with bar access.

Because the place is family-friendly, the gaming room will be out of sight.

The Silver Creek site will see the addition of a shine bar — as in moonshine. (Nice!) The shine bar will have 40-50 types of moonshine and flavored whiskeys.

This area will have a more rustic look and “a really cool vibe,” said Loeffler. To add to that vibe, there will also be a large still on site, for display only.

Not to worry, I’m told the moonshine will come from legit distributors and won’t be made in some dude’s bathtub.

The guys are still working on the logistics of the shine bar, but they plan to offer flights served in mini mason jars.

Cougar Creek Patio & Rec

Located outside is Cougar Creek Patio & Rec.

Butzinger said that Silver Creek was unofficially referred to as “Cougar Creek” for years.

So the guys decided to go with it.

The patio area will offer comfy seating for the ladies (and gents too – all are welcome) to hang out and sip cocktails while enjoying each other’s company.

For recreation, the old volleyball courts are still in play, and plans are to add two more.

Loeffler said they hope to host tournaments and leagues starting in the spring.

Other games, such as bags and ping pong, will be available.

The existing stages (indoor and outdoor) will also come in handy for more live bands and other entertainment.

Loeffler said that as the owner of Big Daddy’s in Soulard (and previously Big Daddy’s on the Landing), he’s met a lot of local musicians. He wants to bring them to Silver Creek.

Music festivals are on his wish list of activities. Last year, Silver Creek Saloon hosted Creek Fest, a two-day outdoor music festival featuring 15 bands and fundraiser to benefit music education in Illinois and Missouri.

The guys are very supportive of fundraising events for schools, teams, groups and organizations.

They’d like to bring that back again and will start booking bands soon.

A great undertaking

While the inside is more geared toward the men and the outside towards the women, the entire property is there for everyone to enjoy.

It’s also family-friendly. — at least until 9 p.m., when it will be open to the 21+ crowd only.

The plans for Silver Creek and Cougar Creek seem like a rather ambitious undertaking, but Loeffler, Vieluf and Butzinger feel that having a lot to offer is what it takes to be successful with a place this big.

Loeffler said that they never utilized the full 20+ acres of the property in the 12 years Silver Creek Saloon & Grill was there.

Further down the road, they want to add pickleball courts and maybe a bocce ball court too.

Loeffler also hopes to one day add a driving range to the property. That’s doable – there’s plenty of space for it. After all, the site used to be the home of Fairway Golf Center and Caddy Shack Bar & Grill.

Over the next year, customers will be able to see the progress as new features make their debuts and to provide their input to help make it better.

Loeffler, Vieluf and Butzinger say they’re here for the customers. It’s a lot of work.

“We’re trying to stay positive,” said Butzinger.

Loeffler said they want to “make this a mainstay to come and eat … watch the game.”

It’s the “new shiny whistle in town,” said Vieluf.

About Silver Creek Sports & Social and Cougar Creek Patio & Rec

Silver Creek Sports & Social and Cougar Creek Patio & Rec are located at 2520 Mascoutah Ave. in Belleville and slated to open in October.

Loeffler said they are starting the hiring process soon and will hire for all positions. Part-time and full-time positions will be available.

For all updates and info, keep an eye on the Facebook pages.

BND Archive - Fairway Golf Center - Caddy Shack Bar & Grill by Jennifer Green on Scribd

Silver Creek Saloon Spacious Setting Live Music Belleville News-Democrat IL February 10 2013 p14M by Jennifer Green on Scribd