ST. LOUIS, MO - The St. Louis Cardinals, The Cordish Companies and the Professional Bull Riders announced today that PBR St. Louis: A Cowboy Bar will open at Ballpark Village, making it the eighth location across the United States.

From the toughest sport on dirt comes the fastest-growing country bar concept in the nation. PBR St. Louis will bring an authentic country experience to Ballpark Village. PBR has agreed that this will be its only venue within the St. Louis region.

"PBR wants to be in world-class districts within very special cities and there is no doubt that Ballpark Village in St. Louis fits the bill," PBR Chief Operating Officer Sean Gleason said "PBR is one of the fastest-growing, most-exciting and popular sports in the country, selling out arenas from Madison Square Garden to Southern California, as well as being nationally televised. Our goal with PBR was to create a concept that captures both the electricity that is PBR, as well as the warm camaraderie that exists between our patrons at our events. PBR does both and does so in spectacular fashion. We're excited to make this announcement as the PBR returns to St. Louis this weekend with the Built Ford Tough Series at Scottrade Center."

The first PBR location opened its doors in 2008 at the Power & Light District in Kansas City, Mo., and has since launched venues in Baltimore, Houston, Hampton, Va., Philadelphia and Louisville, Ky. Each location features its own unique high-quality design, but with shared attractions including a large dance floor, a soft-seating lounge area, private outdoor balconies, multiple bars and the world's meanest mechanical bull as a show-piece element to the club. PBR St. Louis takes this design to a new level and promises to be an eclectic combination of "cowboy cool" meets "urban chic," spanning 8,000 square feet.

"We appreciate PBR's investment in St. Louis," said Phyllis Young, Alderwoman, 7th Ward. "PBR St. Louis promises to be a happening place that will bring a lot of boots downtown."

Additionally, PBR has started a great live-music tradition in its Hot Country Night's concert series, with past national acts including Gretchen Wilson, Luke Bryan, The Band Perry, Justin Moore, Dierks Bentley, Jason Aldean and numerous other all-star country artists. PBR St. Louis will play host to live performances throughout the year and is powered by a state-of-the-art sound and light system equipped for both live entertainment and dancing nightly. PBR St. Louis will also feature an expansive beer and bourbon list, as well as a southwestern-inspired food menu.

"The Cordish Companies and the St. Louis Cardinals are committed to bringing best-in-class concepts to Ballpark Village and with PBR, we have done just that," said Blake Cordish, Vice President of The Cordish Companies. "We are thrilled to welcome PBR to St. Louis and we are confident that it will be an anchor attraction for years to come." 

Bill DeWitt, President of The St Louis Cardinals, stated, "PBR is a perfect addition to Ballpark Village. We are focused on making Ballpark Village the premier entertainment destination for the region and for our fans, and PBR will help us accomplish that goal."

PBR's announcement at Ballpark Village coincides with the return of the PBR's elite Built Ford Tough Series to St. Louis. On Feb. 15 -17, the world's Top 35 bull riders ride into Scottrade Center for the Cooper Tires presents  Kawasaki Invitational. It's the 16th time the PBR has visited St. Louis.

"St. Louis has always been a great market for the PBR," Gleason said. "The fans are enthusiastic and the city always buzzes with excitement about the event. We're looking forward to our return to the Scottrade Center."

Tickets for the Kawasaki Invitational are available now at the Scottrade Center box office, online at www.ticketmaster.com or by calling (800) 745 3000.

St. Louis is the seventh stop of 26 across 18 states for the 2013 Built Ford Tough Series. The season culminates at the PBR Built Ford Tough World Finals in Las Vegas, October 22-27, at UNLV's Thomas & Mack Center. The series' best bull riders will compete to claim the ultimate prize, the PBR World Champion's title, $1 million bonus, a new Ford truck from the series' title sponsor and the coveted PBR World Champion buckle.

The PBR is celebrating 20 years of competition in 2013. Its Built Ford Tough Series is televised every week on CBS, CBS Sports Network and networks around the world. BFTS telecasts are produced for the PBR under a multi-year agreement with David Neal Productions, a Los Angeles-based production company led by 34-time Emmy® Award winner and Peabody Award winner David Neal, who serves as executive producer.