Photography by Kevin A. Roberts
In news culminating within the last hour, Relish has learned that Mike Emerson and John Matthews, who together owned 50 percent of Pappy's Smokehouse in midtown, have purchased the other 50 percent, previously owned by Michael Wegmann. Emerson will remain operating partner at Pappy's. The purchase price was not revealed.
The public first learned of the dissention in an article published in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch in late February, stating that a disagreement over the partnership contract had precipitated a lawsuit, one that ultimately led to receivership negotiations that continued through most of March.
Those negotiations culminated at a meeting this morning. On one side of the table sat Emerson and Matthews; on the other, Wegmann. The transfer of ownership was conducted like a reverse Dutch auction: A minimum value was established, and then bids and counter bids were set forth until the other side yielded. In preparation for the negotiation, both sides had placed adequate monies in escrow earlier this week.
"I'm glad it's all behind me, and expansion plans are in the works," says Emerson, "but that's for another time."
It's fair to say that the local restaurant community and dining scribes, as well as nearly anyone who's met Emerson, are drawn to the man. Customers wait in line—expect to wait in line—and are fine with it. Emerson often walks along that line, handing out ribs gratis, as a pre-purchase thank-you of sorts. It's here that most customers meet the easy-going, self-deprecating Emerson, a man who's mastered the one-liner.
There are myriad stories about patrons' love of Pappy's. One customer had a pizza delivered while in line. Another suffered a heart attack (he's fine) just as he reached the head of the line. As the EMTs wheeled the man out the door atop a stretcher, he muttered, "If I don't come home with a No. 2 and some extra slaw, my wife's gonna kill me."
