Owners plan to close downtown Belleville bar after 20 years and sell building with patio

Teri Maddox
·4 min read

A popular bar in downtown Belleville has been listed for sale for 10 years, but the owners say they weren’t really motivated to leave a place they loved or reduce the price.

It’s different now, according to Scott Schmelzel and James “Jimbo” Sinovic, friends since high school who own Big Daddy’s 618. They’ve announced that they’re closing the bar on March 31, 2025, nearly 20 years after opening it in 2005.

“Twenty years is a huge landmark in this business,” Schmelzel said. “It’s unachievable for most. I’m 55. I have other things I’m looking to do. Running a restaurant-bar is a huge full-time job.”

The partners are planning to sell the one-story storefront and giant patio at 313 E. Main St. They’re reducing the price from $699,000 to $599,000 and now describe themselves as “more motivated sellers.”

Schmelzel, of Belleville, said they want to find a buyer who will be an “asset” to downtown. They believe they played a part in the district’s renaissance with civic-mindedness related to festivals and other activities and hundreds of thousands of dollars in investment.

“We’re looking to recruit a business for this property that matches the energy and quality of this downtown,” Schmelzel said.

Schmelzel is handling much of the transition due to the fact that Sinovic, 56, of Shiloh, is recovering from a September 2023 stroke. He also broke his arm a month ago. His dogs got spooked while he was walking them and yanked their leashes, causing him to fall.

“We’re getting older, and I’ve had some medical issues to deal with, so it’s probably time to sell,” Sinovic said.

Big Daddy’s 618 opened in Belleville as an offshoot of Big Daddy’s Soulard, a restaurant and bar that is housed in a historic brick building, shown here, in the Soulard neighborhood of St. Louis.
Big Daddy’s 618 opened in Belleville as an offshoot of Big Daddy’s Soulard, a restaurant and bar that is housed in a historic brick building, shown here, in the Soulard neighborhood of St. Louis.

One of four locations

Big Daddy’s 618 was an offshoot of Big Daddy’s Soulard, which Sinovic opened in 1999. It’s still operating in the Soulard neighborhood of St. Louis. Sinovic also was a partner with two former employees in Big Daddy’s on Laclede’s Landing. It closed in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sinovic and two partners opened a fourth Big Daddy’s location in Edwardsville in 2008. It’s now owned and operated by the two partners, who are his cousins and former employees.

Schmelzel said Big Daddy’s 618 in Belleville is “thriving.” He describes plans for the next 10 months as a “celebration” and encourages people to make reservations for private parties and other special events.

“We have remodeled several times and still have the biggest and best patio around,” the partners wrote in a “retirement” announcement. “We even made it through a Recession and a Global Pandemic, thanks to the support of our loyal customers and community.”

The storefront that houses the bar originally was part of the Farmer’s Home and Wagon Yard complex, dating back to 1851, according to Belleville historian Bob Brunkow. The patio occupies space left vacant by a 1972 fire.

Before Big Daddy’s 618, the storefront was home to Downtown Abbey, Shenanigan’s Downtown and Three-1-Three. The latter moved in early 2005, when Mark Onstott, who owns Tavern on Main, sold the building for $130,000, St. Clair County records show.

At the time, city leaders were working to create a “Soulard atmosphere” in downtown Belleville. They were thrilled that a second Big Daddy’s location was opening on East Main.

“There isn’t going to be anything else like this in Belleville,” Sinovic said in 2005. ”We think we can re-create what we’re doing in Soulard over here.”

Sinovic admitted that he thought Schmelzel was “crazy” when he first mentioned the idea of expanding to a then-struggling downtown Belleville. The partners, who both graduated in 1986 from Belleville East High School, briefly toyed with the name Big Daddy’s Disco Diner.

Partners James “Jimbo” Sinovic, left, and Scott Schmelzel are shown at Big Daddy’s 618 in 2006, about a year after they opened the restaurant and bar in Belleville. They were showing off their newly constructed outdoor bar.
Partners James “Jimbo” Sinovic, left, and Scott Schmelzel are shown at Big Daddy’s 618 in 2006, about a year after they opened the restaurant and bar in Belleville. They were showing off their newly constructed outdoor bar.

Changes after COVID-19

Big Daddy’s 618 operated as a restaurant and bar for 15 years. Then COVID-19 hit, prompting Schmelzel and Sinovic to shut down for an extended period of remodeling. They also decided to stop serving food, only drinks. Today, the kitchen is used for catered events.

The partners are selling the building and patio, but not the Big Daddy’s name or business.

“We think it’s a great fit for anybody ...” Sinovic said. “You could do a bar-restaurant. You could do a wedding venue. You could do a lot of stuff there. It’s a great property.”

Schmelzel said he personally hopes to remain on Main Street with a separate, smaller “endeavor” whose details are still evolving.

“I love downtown Belleville,” he said.

Sinovic also co-owned and operated Silver Creek Saloon & Grill in Belleville for 12 years. He attributed its closure last June to disruptions caused by COVID-19 shutdowns and the evolving nature of bar customers.

“It’s tough to recoup after you go into shutdown mode and then to ramp things back up,” he said at the time.

Three of Sinovic’s partners revamped and reopened the business under the name Silver Creek Sports & Social at the intersection of Mascoutah Avenue and Green Mount Road.