Aug 22 — 100th Anniversary of a Bar at 3132 Kingshighway Celebration

This year The Royale will be celebrating the 100th anniversary of a bar being continuously operated at 3132 South Kingshighway. We will hold a series of 100 year anniversary events through the balance of the year.

On Monday August 22nd we will have the sounds of Potomac Accord and Huht perform starting at 6:45. We will have a special Southside pork steak menu in effect.

History of 3132 South Kingshighway:
In 1922 this bar on Kingshighway was built to house a bar called Columbo’s, owned by brothers Joseph and Fred Columbo and their mother Jennie Columbo.

We know 3132 was serving as a bar during prohibition for the location was raided in 1926 by Federal and Local law enforcement as reported in The Saint Louis Star. This didn’t stop the operation, for 3132 continued on as a bar, and all of the arrested parties went on to become city elected officials, state elected officials and legal tavern owners as soon as legal licensing opened up.

Fred Columbo served in the Missouri State Legislature as a “New Deal” Democrat during his tenure as owner of 3132 South Kingshighway.

In 1953 the kidnappers of Bobby Greenlease came into 3132 South Kingshighway with their ransom of $600,000. They came in for a drink while they waited for a car they purchased across the street. The kidnappers inquired with the bartender to find local lodging which they found around the corner on Arsenal.

In 1960 the garage of 3132 South Kinghighway was used as a polling place as published in the May 7th edition of the Globe Democrat.

3132 South Kingshighway was known as Michaleh’s Tavern from the mid 50s to late 80s. Then the bar was known as The Outfield, followed by Wingerz and then the Reale Bar in the late 90s. It had one more incarnation as a slightly altered spelling as The Real Bar in the early 00s and then in 2005 became The Royale.

The first event will be a special open Monday night party on August 22nd with pork steak bbq and live music sounds of Potomac Accord and Huht. Doors at 5 and music at 6:45-9:15pm. See less