Kolb Grading

By KERRY SMITH, EDITOR, ST. LOUIS CONSTRUCTION NEWS AND REVIEW MAGAZINE

A food truck garden named in memory of one of Cottleville’s most beloved residents will welcome visitors later this spring.

Frankie Martin’s Garden, a family-oriented entertainment venue located on 2.74 acres in Old Town Cottleville, is the second food truck garden to grace St. Louis. When the development is completed in about eight weeks, it will boast casual 7-day lunch and supper options from a rotating cast of well-known St. Louis-area food trucks, up to 10 of them at one time.

In addition to food trucks, Frankie Martin’s Garden will offer patrons a place to bring their folding chairs and blankets and enjoy live music, a whiskey and wine bar housed in an historic house, a beer pavilion, 26-foot LED wall, six pickleball courts and other amenities.

Lifelong Cottleville resident and St. Joseph Catholic Parish worker Frank J. Martin, who passed away in March 2020 but was a friend of many, is the inspiration for the venue’s name.

The ownership team includes restaurateur and managing partner Brian Hardesty, Seneca CRE’s Larry Chapman, Kolb Grading’s Jeff and David Kolb, Tom Mohan of Chapman Ventures LLC and Michael and Kate Reiter from Cottleville Ventures, LLC.

“I can’t wait to open the doors and serve Cottleville and the surrounding St. Charles County community,” said Hardesty. “In addition to the generous menu of food and beverage options, the garden will be hosting an exciting array of free events. The opportunity to bring the people of this area together everyday to celebrate, eat delicious food and create memories is what the food truck garden experience is all about.”

Hardesty and Chapman were also part of the ownership team that launched 9 Mile Garden in Affton a few years ago.

Kolb Grading’s role in the Cottleville project has included demolition of several dilapidated barns that stood on the site, clearing and grading the property, along with rehabilitating and repurposing a 770-square-foot old brick home into a whiskey and wine bar that will accommodate up to 24 people with an outdoor patio to seat another 40 to 50 guests. Kolb Grading is also performing utilities site work and paving.

True to the personality of the closely knit community whose residents are often seen traveling across town via golf carts, amenities at Frankie Martin’s Garden will include a golf cart parking lot, Hardesty said.

A growing list of food truck operators showcasing a variety of cuisines are already booked to be part of the daily 11am-2pm lunch and 5pm-9pm dinner service. They are: Angie Burger, Aristocrab Company, Beast Craft BBQ, Cluck Oink Moo, The Crooked Boot, Daddy O’s Cheese Steaks, Doggie Mac’s, Homestyle Grill, Lion’s Choice, Mother’s on Wheels, Moving Munchies, Scoops & More, SNS Goodies, Soul Burger, Supersmokers, The Sweet Side, This N’ That Eatery, Truck Norris, Ukraft, Wayno’s, Wok N’ Roll, Zacchi and Zia’s. Hours also include a Sunday brunch from 10am-2pm.

Subcontractors to Kolb Grading on the project include: Tuepker Brothers Construction, Reinhold Electric, Goodman Electric, Heggemann Inc., Air Alliance Team and Concrete Construction LLC.