Plocher Construction Co., Sugarfire Smoke House, O’Fallon

By RITA DUCKWORTH
    Plocher Construction Co. Inc., of Highland, is helping bring Sugarfire Smoke House to the Metro East. The barbecue franchise specializes in smoked brisket, pulled pork and ribs, and is known for desserts made in-house. The Sugarfire franchise has locations in and around St. Louis and the O’Fallon location is its first in Illinois.
    Jenna Kampwerth is Plocher’s project manager for the job.
    “Each Sugarfire restaurant has different architecture,” says Kampwerth. “And each franchise has the liberty to finish the interior as they wish.”
    Plocher worked in collaboration with the franchisee and Hurford Architects of Glen Carbon throughout the design and construction of the project. The restaurant will be a new, freestanding, 3,800-square-foot, single-story, wood-framed building.
    “The building has sort of a rustic look to it,” says Kampwerth. “It combines wood, stone and corrugated metal panels. Heavy, exposed cedar timbers will act as structural beams at the front entrance and in a large covered patio area. Located at the rear of the building is a fenced-in porch area that will house three wood-burning barbecue pits to smoke the meat.”
    The restaurant sits at the north end of the parking lot of the building at 1405 North Green Mount Road, known as The Blade. The same team members that developed the 60,000-square-foot Blade Building and the nearby Dewey’s Pizza facility is responsible for the development of Sugarfire. They are currently working on additional projects along the Green Mount corridor that will add building space and more amenities to this vibrant area.
    The project, which began in mid-November 2017, is approximately 85 percent complete. Plocher is currently working on interior trim-out. Finishes and final site work will follow as the weather allows. Completion of the project is scheduled for early April of this year.