Fox’s Finest Meats, Seafood & Marketplace slated to open in Kirkwood

A new specialty market featuring premium seafood, high-quality meat, and gourmet groceries is opening in Kirkwood next month.
Fox’s Finest, Meats, Seafood & Marketplace (159 W. Argonne) will debut at the intersection of Argonne Avenue and North Clay, directly across from 4 Hands + Peacemaker.

Local residents Kevin and Luke Beattie, a father-and-son duo who both carry the family middle name Fox, own the market. The pair has assembled a team that includes two professional chefs and an onsite butcher to ensure superior product quality and exceptional customer service—standards they’ve maintained throughout their prior business ventures. Here’s what you should know about the upcoming opening.

The Concept and Food

The store will serve as a combination butcher shop, seafood market, specialty grocer, and community hub. The Beatties intend to offer wagyu beef and prime cuts alongside moderately priced premium options, along with freshly caught seafood, ready-to-eat dishes, specialty sauces, pantry items, and locally-made products. “Different customers have different budgets,” Kevin explains. “We believe we address all of them.”

Education and product sampling will play a key role. Visitors will receive recipe cards with tastings of items ranging from grilled steaks to baked fish dishes. “We’ve partnered with a local supplier for three house-made sauces and aged vanilla extract—something that hasn’t been sold locally before,” Kevin notes. “We’ll offer samples with whipped cream, or alongside homemade chocolate chip cookies made with that vanilla, complete with the recipe. This approach guides our strategy across every product category.”

“We’re making samples a major focus,” Luke explains. “We want people to wonder, ‘What’s Fox’s sampling today?’ and come find out. We’ll have finished products, instructions, and everything you need to make it at home.”

This approach extends to fish and seafood, where the team wants to help nervous cooks feel confident. “Many customers are nervous about preparing unfamiliar fish,” Luke says. “Nobody wants to spend $20 per pound on something they might not enjoy.” Samples and instructional cards are designed to “remove the worry,” and the professional chefs will educate customers as much as assist with sales. “They’ll act as our customer service representatives,” Kevin explains, “available to help without being pushy.”

Ready-made options will be equally important. Made-to-order sandwiches will include porchetta created from slowly-roasted young pig, sliced fresh off a rotisserie. Additional sandwiches will feature meat cooked on an indoor smoker or grill. Roasted chickens will be offered only during specific times each day to preserve their quality and taste. “Once they start deteriorating, we can’t serve them,” Kevin explains. “Instead, we’ll immediately transform extras into chicken salad, preventing them from drying out.”

The Beatties cite institutions like Annie Gunn’s and The Smokehouse Market as inspiration, yet believe Kirkwood’s historic character allows them to establish their own identity. “The location captivated us immediately,” Kevin says, highlighting the structure’s heritage as a general store established in 1875. “We want to honor that legacy while bringing in premium foods at all price points. And since we call Kirkwood home, we have a natural investment in this community.”

The Layout

The market spans approximately 2,200 square feet in the main area, plus an additional 1,300 square feet in the back. A U-shaped service counter dominates the sales floor, featuring a 12-foot display case for meat, a separate case for seafood, and distinct sections for pork and poultry, allowing staff to work seamlessly between stations.

Ready-to-eat items and the rotisserie sit near an 8-foot butcher block counter for orders. Open shelving will display dairy, prepared meats, cheeses, and drinks. The store’s layout encourages shoppers to discover complementary ingredients and meal ideas together.

The design balances modern polish with vintage character. Two-tone green shelving against blue-green walls will feature pantry staples, regional items, and recipe books, evoking the charm of neighborhood specialty shops like The Annex in Webster Groves. A rice-colored textured wallpaper imitating an old tin ceiling adds warmth and detail. Cherry-toned laminate flooring was selected for its longevity and durability.

A standalone Italian marble table positioned centrally will present pastries, pies, and baked goods while naturally guiding customers through the space.

The back section includes a wine section decorated with reclaimed wood from the 1800s and a vineyard landscape mural, featuring wines selected to complement the market’s menu. Several local producers will be represented, including a Kirkwood family that recently bought a vineyard in Italy after connecting with the owners at a Kirkwood Wine Walk event.

The Team

Two experienced chefs will oversee prepared foods, customer education, and customer interactions. The Beatties place considerable emphasis on the importance of frontline workers to the market’s success.

“In our previous ventures, we learned that the staff members customers encounter are what really matter,” Kevin says, comparing their function to Sam Malone’s role greeting patrons at Cheers. “They will be the connective tissue that ties us into this community.”

The business is also prioritizing expert butchering. Whole fish and heritage pig breeds will be processed in-house, and an exclusive beef program will set their meat selection apart from typical supermarkets. The Beatties plan to consistently stock two grades of prime beef, including what Kevin terms “exceptional prime” obtained from a farm not yet operating in the St. Louis marketplace.

Community engagement has been integral to Luke’s opening strategy. He introduced the concept to marketing students at Kirkwood High School—where he previously studied—and 14 graduating seniors chose Fox’s for their capstone project, contributing to branding and promotional tactics.

The Beatties envision customers becoming active participants in the market’s culture through recipe exchanges, online communities, or a potential cookbook. “You create a sense of belonging,” Luke says, “when the community connects through the food you’re providing.”

The Background

Though this is the Beatties’ first food enterprise, both bring extensive expertise in customer relations and business management.

Kevin previously ran Dent Wizard franchises before buying Dent Wizard International itself in the early nineties. Following the company’s sale to Manheim Auto Auctions, he purchased two large collision repair shops in Orlando and brought in Luke—then fresh from Southern Methodist University’s business program—to lead operations. “In just four years, he increased revenue fourfold,” Kevin says.

Luke subsequently worked for a private equity firm specializing in collision repair acquisitions, traveling across the nation to analyze customer service approaches and retail strategies.

“I got to experience wonderful dining at a range of retail locations nationwide,” Luke says. “I recognized this was something Kirkwood needed. Those experiences put me in position to return and create this where I’m from.”

Kevin says their past work taught him a universal principle applicable to both auto repair and food sales. “Luke earned the highest customer satisfaction scores of any body shop nationwide,” he notes. “Success ultimately depends on customer service and making customers feel valued—whether you’re repairing their vehicle or feeding their family.”