Good times are brewing: Sidekick BBQ & Sweets joins Friendship Brewing Co.

HANNIBAL, Mo. – Eric and Patty Happekotte, owners of Sidekick BBQ & Sweets, handle their business the same way they handle their barbecue – low and slow.

“Our motto has always been to take it slow,” Patty said. 

From first serving barbecue underneath a canopy in downtown Hannibal on Bird street to handing plates out of a food truck window, they have now paired up with the newly established Friendship Brewing Company  in Hannibal. 

The Friendship Brewing Company in Hannibal is located at 422 N. Main and previously housed the Mark Twain Brewing Company. The company took ownership of the building in May 2022 after the Mark Twain Brewery closed.

Founded and owned by Brian Nolan and David Brewer,  the primary location of Friendship Brewing Company is in Wentzville, Mo. The company recently started serving their craft beer at the Hannibal location.

Sidekick BBQ & Sweets began serving barbecue from the Friendship Brewing location about three weeks ago, and have seen Hannibal patrons as well as groups from the surrounding areas. The Happekotte’s said it has been a busy start.

The new entrance and dining area at the Friendship Brewing Company has moved from the back of the building to the front of the building where the large picture windows once displayed cars when it housed Murphy Motors years ago.

When Nolan approached the Happekotte’s about bringing their barbecue to the new Hannibal location, they were in the process of buying a larger trailer after outgrowing the one they’d spent four years serving from.

“We were excited. We thought about it for a while and then called him and told him yes,” Eric said.

While the restaurant business keeps the couple busy, Sidekick BBQ & Sweets actually came as a post-retirement project for the Happekotte’s. Eric worked for 17 years at the Missouri Dept. of Conservation in the forestry department, and Patty was a hairstylist for 32 years. 

Cooking bbq was a challenge Eric enjoyed practicing as his skills increased over the years.

“At first, I messed up a lot of meat but I wasn’t going to give up until I quit messing up. So I kept doing it,” he said. “We just stuck with it.”

The Happenkotte’s praised Friendship Brewing Company’s renovation of the building and said working with them has been a great experience. Eric said Hannibal’s general manager, Jessica, has done a wonderful job in leading the new crew.

They are open Tuesday through Thursday from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday from noon until 11 p.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Food is not served the last hour they are open.

Visit their website for more information on Friendship Brewing Company.