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Photography by Kevin A. Roberts
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Photography by Kevin A. Roberts
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Photography by Kevin A. Roberts
Stepping inside Provisions St. Louis feels like getting a hug from a good friend. Even on a gray June day, the Central West End shop is alive with personality: 1960s folk-rock sets the stage, and the scent of candles—unlit yet collectively potent in the very best way—wafts around you. The shop is pulsing with color and texture, every corner revealing something new and beautiful.
Artbooks and memoirs, barware and cocktail glasses, greeting cards, and jewelry fill the shop’s shelves and tables. Men’s grooming items are displayed on the back wall and the shop is a paradise for foodies, too, with such cookbooks as The New Classics, by Donna Hay, and Cook This Book, by Molly Baz, for sale.
Located at 228 N. Euclid, the vibrant shop is a reflection of its owners, Ross and Debra Hunter. The two are lifelong retailers who moved to St. Louis from Northern California, where they owned a heritage denim store in Santa Rosa. They met while studying at San Francisco State University and built successful careers in fashion: Ross worked in the luxury fashion industry for 30 years as a buyer and merchandising director for Wilkes Bashford; and Debra was an executive at Macy’s, ferreting out trends for buyers, merchandisers, and advertisers. In 2017, after the Tubbs wildfire devastated their California community, the couple decided they wanted a fresh start and began exploring new adventures outside California and fashion.
Photography by Kevin A. Roberts
“Deb said, ‘We’re not getting any younger. Let’s just do something completely different,’” Ross recalls. A customer suggested that they check out St. Louis. “When we first visited, in March 2018, we were looking for a city that was in the process of being revitalized,” says Debra. “We had brunch at Brasserie and fell in love with the neighborhood. The history, architecture, the conviviality of everyone we met just felt so inspiring.”
The couple also bet on their retail know-how, Debra says: “We came out here and we realized, What does everybody have in common? Everybody has a birthday, Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day.”
“And we kept the grooming [goods], because that was natural for us,” Debra adds. “We’ve always had art books, candles, and the bar [items], but we’ve just grown and fleshed out certain categories.”
Ross and Debra source their inventory from makers and artists around the globe. Gorgeous serving trays are handmade in Sweden, artisan vases in Thailand, and there are cocktail syrups made by Heirloom Bottling Co. right here in St. Louis.
The lively vibe of the Central West End drew the couple to the neighborhood, but the spirit and support of their neighbors have made St. Louis home. “I think it’s a Midwest thing, but in St. Louis, people are just so hospitable,” says Debra. “We opened in November, and somebody came in—a neighbor who lives around the corner—and asked if we had someplace to go for Thanksgiving. That was so cool.” Ross adds: “Just walking down the street, people say, ‘Hey! Good morning!’”
