Two popular metro-east restaurants sign on as vendors at O’Fallon sports park project
Plans are currently in the works to open the Old Base Factory in early summer as a food hall with seven local vendors near Family Sports Park in O’Fallon.
Two vendors have been announced – Max and Mugg’s, an Andria’s Steakhouse family operation, and BEAST Craft BBQ from pitmaster and nationally renowned chef David Sandusky.
“We plan to feature a lineup of seven exciting food vendors local to the area, including barbecue, ice cream, burgers, gourmet sandwiches, hand cut fries, pizza, desserts, tacos, and more,” said Eric Wallace, co-owner of Old Base Factory.
“The space will feature dozens of TV’s, an indoor/outdoor bar, a large covered outdoor deck, a play field with synthetic turf, a walk-up window for grab-and-go, and a large private event space.”
The Old Base Factory is a reuse of the existing 11,230 square foot Velocity Metalworks Industrial building.
Wallace and his brother, Mike Wallace, are converting a former tool and die shop, which is a 12,000-square-foot building on 2.5 acres, into the food hall, which will be located at the park’s east entrance at 230 Oberneufemann Road.
The goal is to offer a unique experience that can accommodate large groups and sports teams.
“We hope to transition the old factory into a special place with local vendors our community will be proud to show off to the visitors to our town and a convenient place for visitors to the park to enjoy high quality food and beverages from local vendors,” he said.
“We’re really excited about it. We feel confident about the concept, and the response has been overwhelmingly positive.”
As dads, the Wallace brothers have been to many baseball and soccer games at Family Sports Park and understand how teams want to hang together, but that it’s hard to accommodate groups sometimes, he noted.
“Mike and I love to sit outside after a game, and we wanted to have an outdoor space where teams can go and get something to eat. Not everyone wants burgers not everyone wants pizza, so we wanted to have a variety, with different vendors,” Wallace said.
Wallace says their new venture is working with Currency for Caring and Food is Love programs by John Michel and Lasse Sorensen to help provide over 1,000 meals per year for people in need throughout the region.
“Food is Love will also be helping us rotate exciting food offerings in and out throughout each year,” Wallace said.
Max and Mugg’s
Third-generation restaurateur Max Kenison is moving forward with his Max and Mugg’s concept, which will offer burgers, gourmet sandwiches and craft beers, among other menu items.
Kenison is hoping to build on his family’s legacy with this new casual dining concept under the Andria Family Restaurant banner. He is the general manager of Andria’s at 6805 Old Collinsville Road in O’Fallon, which began in 1978, when his grandparents, Sam and Muggs Andria, opened their home to the public, turning the quaint farmhouse into a fine-dining destination.
“We’re excited about it,” Kenison said. “We’re going to have tastings once a month for lunch on Fridays from noon to 1:30, reservations only.”
The sneak peek will take place in Andria’s bar, with 20 seats available. The first one, Feb. 21, is sold out. Other dates are March 28 and April 25. For more information, visit andrias.com/event-list
“This will give us the chance to see the timing, the prep work. We’re proud of the new concept,” Kenison said.
“As the business turns the page into the next generation, the family is ready to position a concept that will pull from our rich history while maintaining our commitment and deep roots in Southwestern Illinois.”
Besides a double smash burger, a couple ideas on his initial proposal included a “Ripper” fried chicken breast sandwich coated in Red Hot Riplets, with pepper jack cheese, roasted garlic aioli, lettuce, pickles and bacon served on a brioche bun, and a Fried Muggs sandwich with fried bologna, bacon onion jam and American cheese served on Texas Toast, and as a Teaser, “The Fam Bam” – baked cheesy Samosa puffs served with spicy avocado Ranch.
The BEAST
David and Meggan Sandusky of O’Fallon have owned The BEAST Craft BBQ at 20 S. Belt West in Belleville since 2014, earning national recognition and awards. He has appeared on Food Network’s “Guy’s Grocery Games,” “BBQ Brawl” and “Beat Bobby Flay, and “Project Fire” on PBS.
They have been one of the food partners at St. Louis City soccer team’s Energizer Park since 2023 and are a food vendor at Washington University, in the Schnuck Pavilion, which is open to the public. They also operate a food truck.
Food Is Love Partnership
Restaurateurs John Michel and chef Lasse Sorensen continue to expand their Food Is Love Productions Inc. and Currency of Caring collaborations to find more opportunities for its dignified dining program.
Michel, a former fighter pilot who retired as a U.S. Air Force Brigadier General, came up with Soulcial Kitchen in Swansea as a family-friendly concept in 2021 for the first metro-east food truck park in addition to a business incubator and a charity-driven mission. He has branched out with The Flock food truck park in downtown Alton and partnered with Old Herald Brewery & Distillery in Collinsville.
John and his wife Holly’s innovative “Currency of Caring” program addresses food insecurity through a dignified-dining meal program, and their goal is to raise awareness and build community. People can purchase meal tokens for $8, which can be shared/donated and used for a hot meal at local participating restaurants.
In 2023, he partnered with the Leadership Council Southwestern Illinois to help active-duty service members, which is reported to be as high as 26% facing hardships, at Scott Air Force Base.
Sorensen is in his fourth year as host of the St. Louis-based “Food Is Love” program and after partnering with Michel has been working with their educational training and entrepreneur development program through a Food Truck Academy and a Food Truck Apprenticeship Program.
Soulcial Solutions, in partnership with the Benedictine College School of Business and the Byron G. Thompson Center for Integrity in Finance and Economics, offers a comprehensive and turnkey entrepreneur development and food truck apprenticeship program.
At the Old Base Factory, the Food Is Love booth will feature graduates of their entrepreneur program, starting with Soul-Full, which is inspired Southern cuisine and comfort food.
“It’s going to be great. This is a win-win for us, and we’re really excited,” Michel said. “It’s everything we are about. I met with the Wallaces, and they are very community oriented. They’re just good dudes.”
MLB’s Bases
The Wallaces will tie the site’s history into the new place, with its special connection to Major League Baseball.
Ray Oberneufemann started AAA Tool & Machine Company, in 1968, before O’Fallon had zoning. Such custom metal fabrication services as oven handles, roller skate wheels, truck and tractor parts, and other items were made there.
Beginning in 1973, they made all the metal base assemblies for Major League Baseball and now make over 60,000 a year. These are shipped to Rawlings to install the final padding and logos and then sold to the MLB.
MLB uses nine bases per game, switching them out in third and sixth innings, he said.
The O’Fallon business was in operation for over 50 years, and Ray’s two sons joined him in the business. After retirement, they sold the company to Brian Wort in 2014, who started Velocity Metalworks. They outgrew the building and moved to a larger site in Belleville last year.
Based on the zoning hearing, improvements are being made to the property,
Hours of operation can only be 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., and no outdoor music is allowed.
Parking is to be constructed as required to accommodate the overall site. (The code stipulates 102 spaces, but the Wallaces plan to provide 111, with 4 accessible spots.)
A left-turn lane is to be striped from southbound Obernuefemann into the site for better traffic flow.
This story was originally published February 3, 2025 at 5:30 AM.