Gerard Craft’s Niche Food Group will open underground cocktail lounge at City Foundry STL in late 2023

Gerard Craft’s Niche Food Group has just announced plans for a new “speakeasy cocktail lounge” named None of the Above, which will open at City Foundry STL at 3730 Foundry Way later this year. Located in the underground tunnels beneath City Foundry, the upscale cocktail venue will be Niche’s 12th concept in total and the group’s fourth venture at the City Foundry, which includes Fordo's Killer Pizza, the Kitchen Bar, and forthcoming Expat BBQ. 

“We sought to create a place that can provide an indulgent escape and offer an experience capable of quieting the typical day-to-day distractions and noise," Niche Food Group’s owner and executive chef Gerard Craft said in a press release. “We’ve put careful thought into every aspect of None of the Above, from the rich design to the curated artwork, you’ll be fully transported and immersed in what feels like another reality.”

Tentatively set to open in late 2023, the concept promises to bring a sophisticated beverage program by Niche Food Group bar manager Fionna Gemzon. The program will have an emphasis on luxury spirits and technique-driven cocktails with first-to-market culinary equipment. One such piece of equipment will be a rotary evaporator, which allows for low-temperature distillation and gets the purest form of flavors into drinks.

“We’re intending to have 15 house drinks, and an additional 10 to 15 classic cocktails,” said Fionna Gemzon of the menu. 

The house drinks will be more ingredient-focused, think botanicals, florals and fruits, when in season. Although the primary focus is on cocktails, Gemzon said there will also be a smaller selection of local beers along with five to seven higher-end wines.

Overall, Gemzon said the drinks will have ingredients one wouldn’t expect to be in a cocktail, such as cumin-coriander syrup, which will be the basis for one of the house drinks. “I usually like to approach cocktails with savory ingredients,” she said. 

When it comes to the decor, there will be a custom-built wood bar with brass accents and an overall upscale lounge feel to the space. With a seating capacity of 84, the bar will have an intimate vibe. 

“It’s going to be very luxurious and cushy with warm lighting, dark tones and wood. It strikes a balance between modern and nostalgic,” said Craft. 

Currently, the opening timeline is later this year, but Craft said the concept has been in the works for three years. Craft said he was approached by Will Smith, President of New + Found, City Foundry STL’s development group, when Smith found the flooded tunnels beneath City Foundry STL. Fully leaning into the speakeasy theme, according to information put out in a press release by Niche Food Group, guests will have to find the secret entrance in order to enter None of the Above.