Residents of Kirkwood and the surrounding communities no longer have to make multiple stops to put together dinner. Fox’s Finest Meats, Seafood & Marketplace is now open at 159 W. Argonne Drive, bringing a butcher shop, seafood market, gourmet grocery and prepared food counter together under one roof. The new market, owned by father-and-son duo Kevin and Luke Beattie, occupies a historic building in downtown Kirkwood across from 4 Hands + Peacemaker.
The idea for Fox’s Finest grew out of a common frustration. “We realized we were driving 30 minutes one way for meats, and 30 minutes the other direction for seafood and wished we had somewhere that had both nearby,” Luke Beattie said. After sharing the concept with friends and family, the pair realized they had identified a gap in Kirkwood’s food landscape.
That desire for convenience shaped nearly every aspect of the market. “The biggest gap is a one-stop-shop,” Beattie said. “St. Louis has great grocery stores and great meats, but sometimes it feels like you have to go to five different places to build your meal.”
Instead, shoppers will find premium meats and fresh seafood alongside artisan pantry staples, locally roasted coffee, prepared sides and grab-and-go meals. The shelves are stocked with everything from local honey and jams to specialty olive oils and cocktail garnishes, while the cases feature Faroe Island salmon delivered fresh twice weekly, premium beef and Amish-raised chicken sourced from regional farms.
The prepared food program includes handcrafted sandwiches, including a porchetta inspired by trips to Charleston, plus house-made chicken salad, pasta salad, potato salad, coleslaw and more.
The Beatties also want Fox’s Finest to be a resource for home cooks, not just a place to shop. “Cooking can be intimidating. Even buying meat can be intimidating,” Beattie said. He said the market’s butchers and chefs are encouraged to answer questions, offer cooking advice and send customers home with recipe cards. The team also plans to host in-store tastings, cooking demonstrations and share recipes through social media.
The concept reflects the family’s own passion for cooking. After previously working together in the collision repair industry, the Beatties began looking for a business they could build together after returning to Kirkwood.
“We both love to cook, especially barbecue, so a gourmet market with quality ingredients made perfect sense,” Beattie said.
Their connection to the community also influenced the project. Both Kevin and Luke grew up in Kirkwood, and Luke even partnered with students in his former advanced marketing class at Kirkwood High School during the market’s planning stages.
The building itself made the location even more meaningful. “We were both born and raised in Kirkwood, and absolutely love the community,” Beattie said. “The building we’re in was built in 1875 and actually used to be the community grocery store in historic Kirkwood. … We’re so honored to bring that legacy back to Kirkwood.”
Looking ahead, the Beatties hope Fox’s Finest becomes a neighborhood fixture where customers can shop with confidence, knowing exactly where their food comes from and how to prepare it. While they’re already thinking about bringing the concept to other parts of St. Louis someday, their immediate focus is on becoming a staple in the community they call home.
