In a press release issued today, partners Steve McIntyre and Brian Underwood announced the sale of Balaban’s to local businesswoman Karen Halper.
After the August 15 closing, Halper will move the storied business back to the Central West End, into the former ArtGlass Unlimited space, at 412 N. Euclid, across the street from the restaurant’s original location.
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Herbie Balaban Carp opened Café Balaban at 405 N. Euclid in 1972. Seven years later, the sidewalk bistro was added. The heyday lasted for decades.
In 2006, the restaurant was sold to owners who made some changes but closed it in early 2008. The following year, Steve McIntyre, who still controlled the rights to the Balaban’s name, partnered with Brian Underwood and opened Balaban’s Wine Cellar & Tapas Bar in Chesterfield, which was subsequently shortened to simply Balaban’s.
The duo expanded the brand by combining it with a retail wine store, including curated “library cellar wines” containing special and older vintages, earning multiple awards from Wine Spectator along the way. The Chesterfield location created a new identity and followers by mixing modern bistro fare with longstanding favorites (beef Wellington, cucumber bisque, Ligurian pasta, morel pasta, trout pancakes).
In the release, McIntyre and Underwood said the reason for their sale “centered on retirement,” acknowledging they had both retired once before, and that both “wished to pursue other interests.”
Meanwhile, Halper owns three other businesses in the CWE: Mahler Ballroom, an event venue at 4915 Washington; Enchanting Embellishments, a gift and women’s clothing shop at 4732 McPherson; and Mary Ann’s Tea Room (pictured below) located within the boutique. The release also noted that Halper acquired Patty Long Catering five weeks ago and plans to consolidate it into the Euclid location after the first of the year.
Halper stated that she will offer the original café menu, including Balaban’s signature dishes, and that its current staff “will have the opportunity to play a role in the new organization as we mesh my businesses into a larger whole.”
No other menu or site details were provided in the release, including the timetable for the reopening in the Central West End.
Balaban’s last day of service on Clarkson Road in Chesterfield will be August 10.
Reached this morning, Ken Fowler, operations manager for CWE Balabans LLC, told SLM that the new Balaban’s would occupy the brick-walled second floor of the space (approximately 3500 square feet, accessible by both stairs and an elevator) and overlook the original location. He said that the Patty Long catering operation would occupy a portion of the ground floor space and that there are no plans as yet for the northernmost bay.
Fowler also explained that Halper’s purchase agreement included some of the furniture and fixtures from the original restaurant, including several vintage French posters and the iconic Cafe Balaban sign. “The original Balaban’s had a cozy, modern European cafe feel already,” he said. “There’s no reason to try to improve upon that.”
Editor’s note: This article has been updated from the original version.
