The café space on the second floor of the Missouri History Museum—vacant since early March, following a fire that closed The Key Bistro—will host a seasonal pop-up called “A Taste of Amighetti’s.” Spearheaded by Anthony Favazza, owner of both Amighetti’s and Hank’s Cheesecakes, the event offers a streamlined menu of fan favorites to museum visitors for the summer months. The opening date is pending; the pop-up is slated to end September 1. Here’s what to know before you go.
The Concept
Favazza tells SLM that a similar pop-up in late March received an enthusiastic response. “The logical next step was to schedule something similar through the summer,” he says.
Guests will order at the counter and can dine in one of the 35–40 seats available in the café area or take their meals to go—ideal for picnicking in Forest Park.
The adjacent 100-seat restaurant will remain closed unless reserved by a large group, and staffing can be arranged.
The pop-up will follow regular museum hours, including extended Thursday evening hours and being closed on Mondays.
Expect an “abbreviated greatest hits menu,” Favazza says, including the iconic Amighetti Special sandwich, a vegetarian option, as well as a few select pastas, homemade soups, salads, and a rotating array of Hank’s cheesecakes.
“Both sides are committed until September 1,” Favazza says of the pop-up. “But I’m hopeful we can do something beyond that. I have a long-term vision for a full-service concept—something that could last a decade, not just for three months. I want to be in it for the long haul.”
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The Backstory
Restaurants run in the Favazza family. Anthony’s father, uncle, and brother run Favazza’s on the Hill. Anthony left behind a career in corporate law to become a full-time restaurateur—and a steward of local food institutions.
In 2016, he acquired the rights to Amighetti’s. Six years later, he bought Hank’s Cheesecakes. In 2024, he became a 50 percent partner in Missouri Baking Co. The year prior, he opened a new Amighetti’s location at Southwest and Macklind, also serving as a second outlet for Hank’s.
Favazza’s connection to the Missouri History Museum isn’t new. “There’s been an Amighetti’s exhibit on the second floor since the 1990s,” he says. “When I was trying to track down old photos, I learned that Mrs. Amighetti had donated a bunch to the museum. That’s how the relationship started. I always said that if the opportunity came up, I’d love for Amighetti’s to have a food presence there. When the fire happened, we were among the first they called.”
Favazza also hopes to contribute a family heirloom to the museum’s upcoming second-floor renovation: the original skeleton key to St. Ambrose Church. The church, which burned down in 1921, received daily deliveries of fresh bread from founder Luigi Amighetti, who held a key to unlock the doors before dawn.
“It folds in half, so it fits in your pocket,” Favazza says of the family heirloom. “Mrs. Amighetti gave it to me, and I’d love to see it displayed here someday.”
