A Look Inside Good Spirits & Company’s New HQ

Curious minds often peek in the window at 1424 E. Cherry Street. From an outsider’s perspective, the space looks just like a bar, but it’s much more than that. It’s the Good Spirits & Company Headquarters, where the Springfield-based hospitality group convenes daily for internal meetings, client presentations, staff training sessions and menu ideation and creation. Good Spirits & Company (GS&Co) is behind several popular Springfield haunts, such as Cherry Picker Package x Fare, The Golden Girl Rum Club and Best of Luck Beer Hall, as well as Scotch & Soda and the soon-to-open Loveless Cocktail Club in Bentonville, Arkansas. While the headquarters doesn’t operate as a commercial bar on a daily basis like the other concepts, the public can enjoy the space at monthly pop-ups and tastings, plus you can book the space for your company’s party or another special event. Joshua Widner is the owner and business manager of GS&Co, and he owns the building with his longtime friend Cade Rogers, principal at HC Rogers Construction. HC Rogers Construction occupies the upstairs portion. “I say it’s a grown-up version of the childhood treehouse you’ve always wanted, except for where we’re coming up on 40 years old, and it’s our offices,” Widner says. “We got to design the spaces. We got to do everything the way we wanted to, and it took a long time. We put more roots down here in the neighborhood, and we want to be here for as long as we possibly can.”

1. By day, the headquarters fills with natural light that sets the mood for business meetings with GS&Co’s consulting clients and distributors. By evening, they draw the gold velvet blackout curtains, and there’s an intimate ambiance throughout. “We’re always talking about the experience,” Widner says. “Obviously food, beverage and hospitality is what we do, but one of the biggest parts of our experiences is our design.” Widner’s spouse, Angela Houska, works in the interior design field, so she collaborated with him on the overall look and finishes.

2. When making a reservation for a cocktail pop-up, consider booking a seat at the bar. You’ll have exclusive rights to order from GS&Co’s Beverage Director and co-owner Rogan Howitt’s secret menu that’s only available for bar service. You’ll also get to choose from the selections on the table service menu, which rotates with each pop-up. A few tried-and-true items always remain on the list though, such as the espresso martini featuring The Coffee Ethic’s cold brew and the Midwest Martini Service, which comes with a serving of pork rinds.

3. Attention to detail was key when curating the ambiance of the part-office, part-cocktail-bar. Taxidermy birds are a nod to the business’s Ozarks roots and the bar area features touches of glossy Italian marble. Dante LaCivita, owner of The 1906 Gents, built the bar front and tables out of Missouri-grown black walnut and Osage orange wood. Widner’s father, Glenn, owns AmCraft Ornamental Iron, and he fabricated the shelving for behind the bar. If you like what you see, you can have the place all to yourself by booking an office or birthday party. Send an inquiry to Jacob Edwards.

4. All throughout the headquarters, guests will notice beautiful little vignettes that look like staged still-life paintings. Widner and Houska sourced several of the vintage and antique pieces from Camp Flea Antique Mall (1900 W. Elm St., Ozark) and other antique stores across the Midwest.

5. Vintage rugs, antique furniture and touches of Gucci wallpaper adorn the space. “The cool thing with this place is that it’s not treated as harshly as a full-on commercial bar where we wouldn’t do some of these applications, like the rugs and the art, just because they wouldn’t last,” Widner says. “This place is our home.”