Narwhal’s Crafted has been slinging elevated frozen cocktails around St. Louis for years, first in Midtown, then the streets of St. Charles, followed by the most recent opening at The District in Chesterfield. Now the iconic bar is taking their brand across the Mississippi River to 400 N. Main St., Suite A, in downtown Edwardsville, Illinois, with its first franchise location slated to open in fall 2025.
“Edwardsville has long been on our radar,” said co-founder Brandon Holzhueter. “It’s a vibrant, growing city with a strong sense of community and a lively downtown. We couldn’t imagine a better place to debut our first franchise – which is a huge deal for us as a brand – because we know our fans on the other side of the river have long been hoping for us to one day have a Metro East location.”
The new location is right in the heart of Edwardsville’s entertainment district and will feature a courtyard patio with fire pits and sidewalk seating, along with the nautical but polished interior design fans have come to know and love.
Shawn and Ashley Beach, who have a lot of combined business experience, are the franchise operators. “We’ve always loved going to Narwhal’s for our date nights, and during one of those nights out, we started talking about the idea of owning something of our own,” said Shawn Beach. “That conversation led us to investigate Narwhal’s franchising, and when we saw the opportunity, it just clicked. Their fun, welcoming atmosphere and commitment to quality really aligned with what we wanted to bring to a community. With us being from the Metro East we felt Edwardsville was the perfect place to start. We’re excited to grow from here and look forward to bringing the Narwhal’s experience to even more cities in the future.”
This article appears in Sauce Magazine // June 2025.