BILOXI, Miss. (WLOX) — No drink captures the Coast Life experience more than Barq’s Root Beer. It was first bottled in 1898, and soon you’ll be able to taste it in the place where it all started.
Retired schoolteacher Terese Nicovich tells the story of how a world-famous beverage was created.
“The brick right here, we have every reason to believe this spot right here is where that first bottle of Barq’s was bottled,” said Nicovich.
Thomas Quave’s great-grandfather, Edward Barq Sr., is credited with combining artesian well water with secret ingredients to make his own brand of root beer.
“The Barq family has been here since the late 1800s and grew Barq’s root beer into the national beverage that it is today,” said Quave.
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The building where Barq’s was first bottled suffered decades of neglect and was nearly destroyed by Hurricane Zeta in 2020.
“It almost knocked it down,” said Quave. “It pushed to the north. We had to come and prop it up and make the decision to let it go or preserve it. I really wanted to preserve it.”
Quave turned to a lifelong friend of Barq’s in Nicovich, who saw potential when looking at the building. With Quave’s approval, she started planning a bed-and-breakfast.
Years of restoration work are now turning into Nicovich’s vision. Now, the Birthplace of Barq’s Bed & Breakfast is on track to open in a few weeks.
What was a bottling house more than a century ago now features a full kitchen with breakfast available for guests and three suites modeled after the home of the Barq family.
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“We’ve tried to make the suites look similar to what you would have found in their home,” said Nicovich.
Barq’s memorabilia and pictures of the family will be permanent fixtures in the new bed-and-breakfast.
“Biloxi lost so much history after Hurricane Katrina, and I really thought it was important for the city to have this place,” said Quave.
Reacting to what the building looks like today, Nicovich said, “I can’t believe it. When people stay here, I will welcome them to my home. It just happens to be the birthplace of Barq’s.”
Nicovich grew up with members of the Barq family. Years later, she’s happy to be showing off the impact of the family’s legacy on the community she loves.
“I am living the dream, and I never planned it,” said Nicovich.
There are some finishing touches that need to be put in place before the Birthplace of Barq’s Bed & Breakfast can open, but Nicovich hopes to welcome the first guests later this month.
For more information, visit the Birthplace of Barq’s Bed & Breakfast Facebook page.
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