View source for Fitz's

{{Short description|Brand of soft drink}}
{{about|the soda pop|other uses|Fitz (disambiguation)}}
{{Primary sources|date=January 2007}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}}
[[File:Fitzs Root beer glass.jpg|thumb|Fitzs Root beer glass]]
<!-- Deleted image removed: [[Image:Fitz'sRootBeer.jpg|thumb|right|Fitz's rootbeer, bottled in University City]] -->
'''Fitz's Bottling Company''' is a regional soda brand in the [[St. Louis, Missouri|St. Louis]] area. The flagship brand is its [[root beer]] popularized by its [[microbrewery]] and [[restaurant]] in [[University City, Missouri]], on the historic [[Delmar Loop]].

==History==
Fitz's was originally a [[drive-in]] hamburger stand located on Brentwood Blvd, in the St. Louis suburb of [[Richmond Heights, Missouri|Richmond Heights]]. The root beer was first produced in 1947 and sold alongside hamburgers and fries. Beverage production was discontinued when the original eatery shut down in 1976.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/27820784/st-louis-post-dispatch/|title=Clipped from St. Louis Post-Dispatch|newspaper=St. Louis Post-Dispatch|date=27 August 1976|page=17}}</ref>  But fifteen years later, the root beer was brought back in its original recipe. In the early 1990s, a new location in the Delmar Loop was purchased and vintage bottling equipment installed.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.fitzsrootbeer.com/facts.html |title=Fitz's Rootbeer<!-- Bot generated title --> |access-date=2006-08-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060617171633/http://fitzsrootbeer.com/facts.html |archive-date=2006-06-17 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Beverage line==
In addition to [[root beer]], Fitz's produces other [[soft drinks|soft drink]] flavors including diet root beer, voodoo (lemon-lime citrus) [[cream soda]], diet cream soda, grape pop, [[Orange soft drink|orange pop]], strawberry pop, [[ginger ale]], hip hop pop (Raspberry Cola), and orange cream.  The labels feature the locally familiar logo; its classic colors are red, white, and blue, but these colors change from one variety to the next to indicate and complement whatever flavor is in the bottle.  The soda is made in the old-fashioned style of using [[cane sugar]] (as opposed to [[high fructose corn syrup]]).

Fitz's has produced some flavors which have been discontinued. These include Dr. Fizz (similar to Dr. Pepper with hints of black cherry), Birch Beer, and Lemonade Pop.

==Restaurant==
The restaurant is designed in the 1950s [[art deco]] style and painted in bold colors. The interior features bar, booth, and table seating, with a connected patio for outdoor dining. The two-story building was originally a bank, with the bottling equipment in the space where the vault was located.

Along with their full line of soft drink flavors, Fitz's offers classic [[Cuisine of the United States|American-style cuisine]] as well as various shakes and malts. Children's meals are served in boxes designed to resemble 1950s cars, a throwback to the dining experience of the original Fitz's drive-in. Fitz's appeared in ''[[Rachael Ray's Tasty Travels]]''.

==Expansion==
From the late 1990s - 2000, Fitz's opened locations in [[Chesterfield, MO]] and [[Kansas City, Missouri|Kansas City]]'s [[Union Station (Kansas City)|Union Station]] - both included restaurants and bottling plants.  Initially successful, both restaurants eventually closed due to lackluster sales. They also have opened a location in South County in 2019.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mahe |first=George |date=2019-01-25 |title=Fitz's opens a 220-seat second location in South County |url=https://www.stlmag.com/api/content/b0ccff08-2015-11e9-8641-120e7ad5cf50/ |access-date=2022-12-02 |website=www.stlmag.com |language=en-us}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[IBC Root Beer]], another St. Louis Root beer

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.fitzsrootbeer.com/ Fitz's Root Beer official website]

{{Root beer brands}}
{{Colas}}
{{Restaurants in St. Louis}}

[[Category:American soft drinks]]
[[Category:Root beer]]
[[Category:Cuisine of St. Louis]]
[[Category:Restaurants in Missouri]]
[[Category:1947 establishments in Missouri]]
[[Category:Companies based in St. Louis]]
[[Category:Missouri culture]]