8 Towns In Missouri With Thriving Local Businesses
Brimming with bustling cities like Kansas City and St. Louis, Missouri has no shortage of commercial attractions. However, many such busy-nesses are chain stores and restaurants that you can find all over America. For a real-deal Missouri feel, take a trip through its towns and stop at shops, eateries, theaters, breweries, and other establishments that exist nowhere else in the world. Let us show you eight commercially unique communities in the Show-Me State.
Weston
True to its name, Weston is one of the westernmost cities in Missouri. From its place along the Missouri River, just north of Kansas City, residents and visitors enjoy natural, commercial, and historic serenity. Among Weston's hospitable historic haunts are McCormick Distilling Company, which is the "oldest distillery west of the Mississippi River still operating in its original location," and O'Malley's Pub, which sits underground in a brewery cellar and is said to be the oldest bar in Missouri. Like Hermann, Weston is a hub for a surprising Missouri cash crop: tobacco. Although the industry is in decline, Weston Tobacco sells hand-rolled and imported cigars in over 600 varieties. Such products and many others can be purchased with a Weston Chamber of Commerce Gift Card. It is the commercial key to this splendid city.
Versailles
Versailles is the bee's knees. It makes sense, then, to start your tour of this tiny Missouri city at Bee's Knees Brewing Company. After downing a burger and beer, catch a matinée at the Royal Theatre, which has been hosting community plays (especially for the Versailles Olde Tyme Apple Festival) since 1981. Once the show is over and if time permits, grab a latte from Gathering Grounds Coffee Co. and a taco from the Veracruz Mexican Restaurant. Finish with a treat in Versailles from the Fat 'n Fabulous Dessert Shop.
Hermann
Missouri may evoke moonshine rather than riesling, but the central part of the state is dubbed the Rhineland for its German settlers and viticulture. Hermann is the hub of this reich. It boasts around 2,200 denizens and an extraordinary number of wineries per capita. In fact, Hermann has so many historic, family-owned wineries that they comprise the Hermann Wine Trail. A tourist can walk from the G. Husmann Wine Company to the Hermannhof Winery to the Reserve Cellars of Hermann while sipping locally-made German wine, eating locally-made German sausages, and learning about Hermann's unique German history. Other Germanic (at least in name) businesses to visit in Hermann include Strassner Furniture, Kugelblitz Gaming, and the Hermann Wurst Haus.
Ste. Geneviève
Ste. Geneviève sits on the opposite side of the state from Weston. Rather than the Missouri River that forms the Kansas border, Ste. Geneviève straddles the Mississippi River that forms the Illinois border. There are plenty of sweet things to see in this city, including cafés like Stella & Me, restaurants like Sirro's, and poteaux-sur-sol structures that date to Ste. Geneviève's 18th-century French colonization. The sweetest sight, however, is Sweet Things Sweet Shop, which is a family-owned and operated haunt that is humorously nicknamed the "World's Okayest Candy Store." As long as Sweet Things stays open, Ste. Geneviève will be more than okay.
St. James
Another saintly Missouri settlement, St. James, is perched in the foothills of the Ozark Mountains. Thus, one can extol the natural virtues of the "Forest City of the Ozarks" while patronizing its local businesses. Walk through Maramec Spring Park with a coffee and homemade brownie from the JB Coffee House. Cool off after a jaunt in the Mark Twain National Forest with Summertime Snow Shaved Ice. And load up on a Country Bob’s Café breakfast before conquering the Woodson K. Woods Memorial Conservation Area. The best combo of scenery and succulence is an outdoor tasting tour of St. James Winery, which is the crown jewel of a unique Ozark viticulture region.
Macon
Macon is located just south of Atlanta. Do not worry: we did not suddenly switch from Missouri to Georgia. Macon and Atlanta are two tiny Missouri cities that share their names with big Georgia cities. Macon is the larger and livelier of the two Missouri municipalities, boasting about 5,500 residents and dozens of vibrant businesses. The Apple Basket Café makes delicious food from scratch in historic downtown Macon; The Pear Tree Kitchen & Bar is a popular eatery that emerged from the ashes of The Pear Tree of Bevier, Missouri; and Koch’s General Store is a diverse local food shop that began as a roadside cinnamon roll stand. Last but not least of our Macon business picks is the Hays Ten Mile Store, which sits 10 driving miles from town in a building that dates to 1902.
Camdenton
Lake of the Ozarks is a large and legendary lagoon in the Ozark Highlands. Along with natural wonders like Ha Ha Tonka State Park, the lake supports over a dozen communities. Straddling its southern arm is Camdenton, a city of about 4,000 residents and countless tourists. In between boating and hiking, permanent and temporary Camdentonians enjoy coffee at The Funky Buffalo Coffee House and Trading Company, frozen treats at Scoops Ice Cream, and pizza at Pepperoni Bill's Pizzeria. If those victuals do not suffice, they can buy everything from fudge to jewelry to knives to perhaps even chains at Ozarkland, a chain store that exists only in the Missouri Ozarks. Camdenton's location is a red three-story building that resembles a barn.
Carthage
Like many Missouri communities, Carthage is considered a city despite being the size of a town. Sure, Carthage, with its 15,000-plus residents, is closer to city-sized than our other Missouri picks. But it still contains classic small-town fare, such as elegant historic buildings and hidden gem eateries. Some are combined. The Carthage Deli serves scrumptious food and drinks from the 1880s-built Bank of Carthage building. Roscoe's Bar & Grill provides sustenance and ambiance in a turn-of-the-century edifice. And Whisler's is an old-fashioned burger joint that has been in operation since 1953. If you want a more modern environment, check out Big Ben's BBQ Station or Boomers BBQ & Catering.
Missouri may have big cities with big-city fare, but it also has plenty of backwood towns with delicious hole-in-the-wall eateries and surprisingly elegant venues. Start in Versailles with its Royal Theatre, fill the intermission with Sweet Things in Ste. Geneviève, rise with action at Camdenton's Ozarkland, and climax at Big Ben's in Carthage for a captivating commercial revue of rural Missoura.
