The Arcade brings new life to historic landmark in downtown Louisiana

Rao explained he was looking for an investment property during his travels through Hannibal and Louisiana, hoping to find the right spot in a rural community that was not too far from St. Louis.

After researching the building that would become The Arcade, Rao and Karrick discovered that it contained some of the infrastructure needed to start their business. Rao noted "it still needed a lot of work", and they purchased the property just before Christmas.

Hannibal Realty provided assistance with the needs to address during the work ahead. Electrical and plumbing upgrades and general contractor work were needed. Rao and Karrick consulted the health department, and Hannibal Realty made contact with the city inspector.

Rao hired a structural engineer from Jefferson City to certify the building, followed by an inspection from the city's building inspector. The management team made a list of projects to get everything ready, and a few tasks remain for the restaurant portion.

Several contractors got to work addressing several areas, including roof repairs over the bar side, structural repairs and upgrades to the paneling for the beer storage closet.

Nine lodging units are located upstairs, and the lower-level houses a bar — which had a soft opening on Friday, March 10 — and a restaurant, which is planned for a March 28 opening.

A couple from St. Louis has already visited the bed and breakfast, noting they enjoyed the tranquil atmosphere, cleanliness and historic details. Rao explained the goal is to offer a place everyone can enjoy in Louisiana.

"We're doing this for the community. We want it be here for the community," he said. "It's a place that people can come, especially after COVID, to be able to come and be able to be a gathering place."

Rao and Karrick are looking forward to preparing an adjacent courtyard to provide an outdoor spot for people to gather together.

Karrick called Tri-County Health Department to make sure all areas of concern were addressed. She explained all of the kitchen equipment was replaced for the restaurant and set up to provide a smooth workflow for employees.

The restaurant features a wood floor section and a recarpeted area, which Rao said would make an ideal lounge for customers to sit and enjoy a coffee or tea. The Arcade's logo includes the phrase "A Gathering Place".

"We wanted it to be a place for the community to feel safe and healthy and just sit down and relax and have a good time," he said.

The bar's soft opening was successful, and he stressed how he and Karrick hope that the Arcade's services are accessible to everyone to enjoy.

"The soft opening went extremely well, and we're excited to see what the future holds for us — getting the restaurant up," Karrick said, noting the planned opening date of Tuesday, March 28. "We actually have a chef that's going to be our kitchen manager, and he's going to be on board this next week, so we're excited."

Karrick said the chef is a "hometown boy here, coming back". The Arcade's managers are looking forward to offering jobs and making a positive impact in the community. They are excited to receive feedback from customers and they are open to making changes. Rao and Karrick have attended several Chamber of Commerce meetings so far to receive local input.

A resident asked about the upcoming opening of the restaurant, and he suggested pork steak for one of the menu items. The chef mentioned the exact same thing, noting the dish has proven to be a local favorite.

Karrick said everyone is welcome to experience an atmosphere she described as "family-oriented", "casual" and "clean". Rao mentioned how the bed and breakfast rooms "have a charming and very pleasant feel to them".

A website will be up and running after the restaurant opens. A full menu and phone number will be listed, and customers will soon have the ability to place orders online.

More information is available by visiting The Arcade's Facebook page.