Trops Now Open In Soulard

Way back in October of 2014 iLoveSoulard, with the help of an attentive neighbor, broke the story that Tropical Liquers was coming to Soulard. In March, we followed it up with an interview with "Soulard Trops"part-owner Billy Thompson.

We're happy to report that the Soulard location of Tropical Liquers at 1800 S 10th is now open and thriving. Whereas the original Columbia, Missouri locations and the Springfield, MO location are owned by the same family that opened the first Trops in 1985, the Soulard outpost is the company's first franchise. The arrangement is new to both the Thompsons and Trops and thus can be pointed to as the reason for the delay in opening.

The first few weeks of the franchise being open were quite surprising, as many neighbors can attest to. The large crowds overwhelmed the staff and even forced the business to close its doors for an entire Sunday when they simply ran out of product. A few issues arose, but Billy, his sister Connie and the rest of the staff were quick to address those to the delight of the neighborhood.

The former Gladstone's building has undergone quite the renovation and looks stellar. The Thompsons completely renovated the first and second floors of the building as well as the patio area. The business also utilizes space on the side of the building as a patio extension with picnic tables for patrons. The upstairs area is a beautiful space that will be perfect for watching some college football this fall.

The offerings are generally the same as those offered in the other Tropical Liqueurs locations, with a few exceptions. The beer list is a little different to reflect some of the different brews available and the flavors available of the signature drinks includes an extra flavor. Voo Doo Brew features Banana Liquor, Vodka, Sloe Gin, Banana Puree & Lemonade. It's pretty delicious. I found in my experience that if you want to double-fist, this flavor goes great with  the Toasted Almond surprisingly.

The Soulard location is open 7 days a week with Happy Hour from 3p-6p every day but Sunday. During Happy Hour on Monday, all of the delicious frozen treats are $1 off while Tuesday-Saturday it's a specific flavor each day. Beer is also $1 off during Happy Hour.

A refillable tumbler is available for purchase at the bar. The 24 oz. beverage holder is sold filled for $18. Refills are then charged at the 20 oz price, saving you money each time you make a purchase.

I'm excited to have these folks as neighbors and look forward to frequenting their establishment.

Check below for a slideshow of other pictures I took during a recent visit to Tropical Liquers in Soulard.



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Trops Soulard Eyes Early May Opening

Like just about every Mizzou alumnus that returns to St. Louis, Billy Thompson longed for a local outpost of Tropical Liqueurs. More commonly known as "Trops", the establishment is famous in Columbia and Springfield, Missouri for its frozen cocktails that it has been serving since 1985.

Unlike some of the other dreamers out there, Billy Thompson made up in his mind one day driving through the streets of Soulard that he was going to bring Trops to St. Louis and it was going to be in Soulard, a neighborhood he loves. He started making calls to family members and working through the numbers.Thompson comes from a commercial real estate background. His family has been involved in that industry for most of his life.

While the industry experience and connections are certainly important in this endeavor, it's also important to note that Thompson possesses another quality that is essential; the guy bleeds Black and Gold. He graduated from the University of Missouri in the early 2000s with a degree in Political Science and minors in Philosophy and Spanish. While at Mizzou, he was the president of the Delta Upsilon chapter and served on both the Greek Week and Homecoming Steering Committees. Thompson now works for a local non-profit and lives in a loft downtown, but he is looking to buy a house and move to Soulard.

Brad Thompson, Billy's brother, will be assisting him on-site with the Tropical Liquers franchise. His sister Connie will he helping with the accounting aspect of the business and his mother will be assisting with the business in several different capacities.

Thompson has signed a lease with Red Brick for the building at 1800 South 10th that previously housed Gladstone's. Gladstone's closed in 2011 and extensive work has been done on the building since. Billy has worked closely with Alan Dodd for about a year on this Trops Soulard project. Dodd lives in Columbia and is the son of the Trops founders. The Soulard outpost will be the first franchise location for the company.

Construction work has already begun on the building and Thompson hopes for an opening in early May of this year. The business will utilize both stories of the building as well as the patio area out back. If you remember being in the building when barbecue was served and questionable acts were being committed by the staff, you're in for quite the change of scenery. The stairs and the bathrooms will both be moved during the build out, which is very pleasing to hear since we don't really want to know what happened in those bathrooms before.

He'll have 12-15 machines inside that will churn out the famous flavors like Brain Freeze, Toasted Almond , Silver Bullet and Tiger Paw. A full bar will also be available, but food will not. Patrons will be encouraged to bring their own food in from neighboring establishments or have food delivered, much like the International Tap House model. Thompson really wants to be a good neighbor and said he won't be having loud, obnoxious music on the patio into the night or have any outdoor decorations that don't fit into Soulard's historic charm.

The second floor of the building will be used for extra seating and possibly some of your typical bar games. Thompson brought up the idea of possibly having his sound system set so the second floor can be used for sporting events and such as well.

For now, you can follow Tropical Liqueurs St. Louis on Facebook while you wait for warmer weather and delicious frozen cocktails. You can also buy Trops merchandise and check out the other locations at 2trops.com