New Cape nightclub open by today

While getting a tour of Last Call last week, someone described the bar that used to be there with a word that can't be printed in a family newspaper.

Let's just say the person wasn't all that impressed with Players Bar.

But Tim Schloss, the St. Louis businessman who bought it, has transformed the property at 632 Broadway to the tune of about half a million dollars. The new bar, which should be open no later than today, has incorporated pieces from Chinatown in New York City, Richmond, Va., and a logo painted by a man who was a set designer on "Sex in the City."

Schloss bought one of the interior oak-wood bars that were part of a corporate entertainment center that sat three blocks from the New York City site of ground zero. Another back area bar was bought from an upscale country club in Richmond, Va.

He's also added a projection big-screen TV, an Internet juke box, a dance floor with $35,000 in club lights hovering overhead and a DJ booth that will provide dance music three or four nights a week.

The bar could have opened over the weekend, Schloss said, but he was waiting on a last-minute permit approval from the city, though he added he already has his liquor license.

Another friend, a designer for the ABC network affiliate in St. Louis, came up with the logo and Cliff Gokenbach, an uncle to one of the bar managers, came down from St. Louis to paint it. Gokenbach is an artist who has painted murals and worked in television.

The results, I have to admit, are good, and Last Call could turn out being one of Cape Girardeau's nicer nightclubs, especially for the college-age students it's geared toward.

* Gordonville Grill: The details are sketchy because the owner is out of town. But Stacy Mansfield's stepmother was kind enough to confirm what an e-mailer had tipped me to.

A new restaurant, Gordonville Grill, will open in a month or so at 829 Route Z. The restaurant will feature appetizers, have five or six entrees and a full bar.

Mansfield owns Midwest Construction. I hope to talk to him next week for details.

* Pizza Hut opening today: I couldn't confirm it, but the rumor is that Pizza Hut No. 2 is opening today at 820 N. Sprigg St., the spot once occupied by Burrito-Ville. A&D Management Co., which owns the Pizza Huts in Cape Girardeau and Jackson, owns 11 Pizza Huts in Missouri, including in Festus, Ste. Genevieve and DeSoto.

Also, word on the street is that Pizza Hut is one of those three new restaurants going into North Pointe Center on North Kingshighway. I've heard that plans may be in the works to relocate from South Kingshighway into a new building.

I'll keep digging.

* Arby's at Jackson: The former Wendy's building in Jackson remains idle, but I understand Arby's has requested information from city hall about filing a business license. Looks like that's moving forward.

* Ole Hickory Pits shine at KC BBQ event: My man Dave Knight tells that Ole Hickory Pits absolutely shone in phenomenal wins at this year's 2006 American Royal Barbecue Open Competition.

Held at the American Royal Complex, Kansas City, Mo., the 27th annual American Royal Barbecue Competition took place Oct. 7 and boasted over $100,000 in purse money and prizes.

Known as the "World Series," this year's American Royal Barbecue Open Competition attracted over 500 teams of meat lovin', spice rubbin', smoke inhalin', hard-core barbecue enthusiasts filling 25 acres at the complex.

With stiff competition from teams from all over the world, Ole Hickory Pits owners won multiple top honors in major categories. First place in the open overall rankings went to Habitual Smokers, Robert Waddell, captain, of Springdale, Ark., with their model EL-ED.

First place in the pork category went to Texas Rib Rangers, Bill and Barb Milroy of Denton, Texas, won eighth place in pork with their model EL-IB.

There were several others.

Knight, who owns Ole Hickory Pits, was ecstatic about the prestigious wins saying, "I guess it's like Dizzy Dean once said, 'If you can do it, it ain't braggin'.' It was just an amazing feeling to have our customers win like that."

Scott Moyers is the business editor of the Southeast Missourian. Send your comments, business news, information or questions to "Biz Buzz," 301 Broadway, Cape Girardeau, Mo., 63702-0699, or e-mail them to smoyers@semissourian.com or call (573) 335-6611, extension 137.