The city’s oldest family-operated restaurant, Beffa’s, will live again.
In 2011, after 113 years of continuous operation, third-generation owners Michael and Nancy Beffa retired and closed the namesake restaurant, which was located behind a nondescript glass door at 2700 Olive (at Beaumont) in Midtown.
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Paul Beffa, the couple’s youngest son, is planning to launch a new iteration of the concept in July. The announcement of Beffa’s Bar and Restaurant was made public yesterday on Facebook.
The page included a history of the restaurant, leading up to present day and ending with this promise: “The new Beffa’s will maintain the sense of personal service and inclusiveness customers came to associate with the Beffa’s name, while making notable updates to ensure every customer leaves with a sense of satisfaction and fulfillment.”
SLM has reached out to the Beffa family for additional details.
Beffa’s was known for being unknown. There was never a sign outside, but movers, shakers, and blue-collar workers came in for the relatively brief cafeteria line of homey specialties. Regulars had memorized the weekly rotation of specials. Politicians, priests, and plumbers alike waited in line to get the roast beef (carved to order) or chicken a la king, maybe with the favorite deviled eggs. Rumor was that different folks were charged different prices, but the Beffa family said that wasn’t true, except for police, firefighters, and clergy.
Who hung out there? Everybody. The classic story is when Timothy Dolan was auxiliary archbishop here, he brought a visitor from Baltimore, a fellow baseball fan, to lunch at Beffa’s. When they got through the line, he heard, “Hey, Father! Come join us!” It was Stan Musial, who was having lunch with Lou Brock, Bob Gibson, and Jack Buck.
We’re hoping the magic is still strong and the corned beef hash is just as good.
Ann Lemons Pollack, a regular contributor to St. Louis Magazine, recently released “Lost Restaurants of St. Louis,” an engaging book that revisits classic local restaurants, Beffa’s among them.
