In 1993 Fitz's Restaurant opened in the Delmar Loop area of University City, a suburb of St. Louis. To assure authenticity, the call went out for a vintage bottling line. Incredibly, a 1940's bottling line was found in an old barn in Shawano, Wisconsin. It was refurbished and installed at the restaurant, where it is visible from every table on the main floor. Fully operational, the bottling line can turn out a bottle every second....of root beer or other popular flavor, such as cream and orange.

The building that houses Fitz's American Grill & Bottling Works was built in 1928, for the West End Bank. It became the Delmar Bank in 1933, and was remodeled in 1944 when the attractive art deco façade was added. For a while, during the 1980's, it was a Chinese restaurant known as The Lantern House.

Today, Fitz's American Grill & Bottling Works sits in the heart of the Delmar Loop, a ten-block section of distinctive stores, shops and even a renovated movie theater dating back to the 1930's. One of the highlights of this area is the St. Louis Walk of Fame. Inaugurated in 1988, the Walk of Fame honors more than 100 men and women with plaques in the sidewalk over a 6 block area. These are St. Louisans who have made contributions to our culture in many different areas of endeavor. The honorees include Kevin Kline, Chuck Berry, Tina Turner, Tennessee Williams, Charles Lindbergh and Stan Musial.

Fitz's Root Beer first appeared in St. Louis at a local drive-in restaurant back in 1947. Famous for its tasty draft root beer and hamburgers, Fitz's quickly became a local tradition. After sadly disappearing for a number of years, Fitz's Root Beer was revived in 1993 when Fitz's Bottling Company, America's original soda microbrewery opened in the historic and vibrant Delmar Loop. Please come watch us bottle Fitz's Premium Sodas while sipping on a frosty mug of root beer and enjoying some good homemade food from our diverse American menu.

At Northport Beverage we carry over 350 varieties of beers and we sell singles and don't require you to puchase the whole four or six pack. So, come in and try some Ciders, Beers Wines and sodas. We hope to see you!

Northport Beverage is located at 1075 Atlantic Highway, Northport. (Near The Outdoor Sportsman) 338-2607.